Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gambling Issue Will Be Up To Voters November 7th

Want to gamble on something besides your life on the Arkansas highways?

Voters in the state will get the opportunity to decide whether casino gambling, a state lottery and charitable bingo will be legal Tuesday, Nov. 7, in the General Election.

The measure, proposed Amendment 5, would allow the Arkansas Casino Corporation to own and operate six casinos. There would be one in Sebastian County, one in Pulaski County, and one each in Garland, Miller, Crittenden and Boone counties.

It would also establish the Arkansas Educational Trust Fund and the Arkansas Gaming Commission.

Passage would put Arkansas on the same footing as surrounding states with legalized gambling.

Under the terms of the amendment, the lottery money would see 50 percent used to pay for prizes won, with 45 percent going to the Arkansas Educational Trust Fund. No more than 5 percent could be used for lottery expenses.

Currently, charitable bingo and raffles are illegal, though these laws are seldom enforced. Passage of the amendment would make them legal and regulated by the Arkansas Gaming Commission, but no one under the age of 21 would be allowed to participate in any form of gambling.

If this measure is approved by the voters, the casinos would be operational as soon as feasible. The casinos could be operated any day for any part of the day.

The casinos could also serve or give away alcoholic beverages during open hours. Otherwise the casinos would be required to follow Alcoholic Beverage Control Board regulations.

The AGC will audit the casinos to make sure all taxes are paid to the state and for no other reason.

No other casinos, other than the ones specified, will be allowed to operate in the state.

Other state or local taxes or fees on property, operations, revenues or income used in the casinos will be prohibited.

The amendment, if passed, would keep the Legislature from passing any laws in regard to casino gambling, and from reducing local or state funding because of the casino revenue tax.

Terms of the amendment require payment of 15 percent in taxes on "Net Gaming Revenues".

The taxes would be distributed with 80 percent going to the state's general fund to help reduce or eliminate the taxes on foods, with the excess, if any is left, to go back to the general fund.

The next 10 percent would be placed in the educational trust fund, while five percent would go to the county where the casino is located in. Should it also be within an incorporated city limits, the revenue would be divided equally between the city and county.

There would be 1 percent set aside for the Arkansas Compulsive Gambling Foundation. This foundation would be created to help those with gambling problems or addictions.

The remaining 4 percent would be used for operational coss of the state's gaming commission.

The educational trust fund would be administered by the Arkansas Department of Education and fund as many grants as possible, based on the amount of income produced from gambling.

These grants would be used to help Arkansas high school students, and those near the Arkansas state border whose education has been funded by the state, attend a college or university in pursuit of a degree. It would also help those seeking a two-year of vocational-technical education.

The grants shall not, under the amendment, exceed the average cost of resident undergraduate tuition, books and mandatory fees as charged by Arkansas' public colleges and universities.

And, at least 24 percent of this trust fund will be used to expand pre-kindergarten educational programs and tutorial programs for primary and secondary students.