For the last six years, Pope County has been fighting state casino interests. The operations are led by a group of local citizens and have been successful to date. While it is true the Choctaw nation has funded the majority of this campaign, it’s also true that the local group is not operating as a proxy agent for the Choctaw nation. The local group fighting against casinos in Pope County seemingly have not swayed from their goal of keeping a casino out of Pope County, and the money received, by all accounts, has been used to further such purpose.
On the other hand, the group pursuing the casino license—Cherokee Nation Businesses—seemingly has tried every trick in the book to get what they want, and they’ve been defeated every time. This time around, the faithful in Russellville hope for another victory, but have taken a new approach with the hopes of ending the casino saga once and for all. They are collecting signatures that not only removes the authorization for casino gaming in Pope County but also adds a local choice component to the amendment. This local choice requirement states that if a “future constitutional amendment authorizes the issuance of a casino license in any county” . . . then such county would have a special election to decide if that county wants a casino or not. Part of the current problem in Russellville is the state approved the casino while the county did not. If not for the work of the faithful, there would be a casino in Pope County today against the wishes of the vast majority in Pope County.
Arkansas casinos posted records profits for 2023, $687 million to be exact. Where does that money go? Into lots of pockets and you can bet those pockets don’t have holes in them. Casinos are parasitic organizations that prey on the weakest and most broken in society. Games are where their money comes from. Not food, hotel stays or other amenities offered. They make their money when you choose to give it to them.
Every single game is angled toward the casino. There is no such thing as a winning streak or a hot hand. If you walk into a casino, some say your chances of winning are one in 34 million. The lowest percentage I could find was one in 5000. (I’m basing this off multiple rolls. No one walks into a casino, throws the dice once and walks out.) To take those odds in any other scenario would mean you were nuts. Literally, people would say you were on the level of a coconut if you knew your odds of surviving a roller coaster ride was 1/5000 and you rode anyway. Or in a more strategic conversation, you knew your odds of earning a profit on a stock or bond was 1/5000. Would you buy it? Would you risk those dollars? No way! The stock market is almost opposite these odds. If investors stay invested over a 10-year period, take home funds are nearly guaranteed. Why do gamers throw their money away at casinos instead of a surer gamble like stocks? One simple word: greed.
People say it’s fun to play the slots. I understand folks have fun in different ways. I don’t like to put my money down the disposal, but I understand… What I don’t understand is the vast majority of folks who go to the casino with a strategy in mind. They aren’t playing for fun. They’re playing for survival. They need money to pay their light bill or their mortgage. They’re rolling the dice because they need a new car or the kid needs college tuition. This is what addiction does. It takes a real, tangible need and twists your thinking so you believe that need can be met in a completely irrational, unreal way. The gaming industry knows this and they build the casinos anyway. Why? Greed. They turn their environments to make people believe they can actually achieve their dreams with the roll of some dice or the spin of a slot machine. “Just one more time is all it takes!” And millions of people gamble themselves into an irreconcilable pit.
Casinos are piranhas. They work to locate counties or regions filled with unsuspecting souls. They build lavish plants promising new roads, better education and lots of free money. They deliver on zero of these promises. Casinos have a relatively short lifespan (outside of Vegas and Atlantic City). They milk all they can out of the area and move on. Don’t believe me? Check out Tunica, MS. They thrive in a cesspool of suicide, higher divorce and bankruptcy rates, negative property values and money that otherwise would have been spent sustaining a local economy. Did you know casino employees are often not allowed to gamble? Ever wonder why? They can’t afford for their employees to go bankrupt.
The Cherokee Nation postcard you received, titled “Investing in Arkansas,” was written by greedy, out of state individuals who want to keep as much control out of your hands as possible when it comes to the casino industry. When you see this casino issue come on the ballot in November, please vote for local control over casino gaming.