Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas | Updates 2023

UPDATE Oct.26, 2023
The Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled the Pope County casino selection process of Cherokee Nation Businesses and the proposed Legends Resort Casino Arkansas did not follow mandetory procedures. Therefore, the Pope County casino license is invalid and the casino application process must be run again from the beginning.

NOTE
The following information about the Legends Resort Casino Arkansas was published prior to the casino license invalidation by the Arkansas Supreme Court ruling.

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Nation | Tribe: Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

LEGENDS RESORT CASINO PROJECT IN ARKANSAS

314 W B Street
Russellville, AR 72801

Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas was locked in a legal battle in the Arkansas Supreme Court to maintain its casino license. The Arkansas Racing Commission awarded the license to Legends Resort Casino in December 2021, but the licensing decision was deemed to violate procedural regulations. A new selection process must be run for the Pope County casino license.

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Legends Resort Casino Arkansas

Legends Resort Casino Arkansas will be located Russellville, Polk County. Arkansas and include a casino, hotel, conference center, concert venue, outdoor waterpark and a RV park.

Cherokee Nation Business of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma has partnered with Legends, a hospitality and stadium-management company founded by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, to build a casino hotel complex in Pope County named Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas.

The Arkansas Racing Commission awarded the Pope County casino license to Cherokee Nations Business partnership in November 2021. Legal challenges have delayed the start of construction.

Location

The Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas will be built at 314 W B Street in Russellville, Arkansas on a 135-acre site north of Interstate 40 on Nob Hill Road. The western boundry is Weir Road, the eastern boundry is Alaskan Trail.

News

Arkansas Supreme Court reopens Pope County casino license process November 1, 2023 - The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that Cherokee Nation Businesses was not a qualified applicant when granted the casino license for Pope County ... Read more Pope County Casino: Where did it go? May 19, 2023 - It has been nearly five years since Pope County was selected for one of four casino licenses authorized by the 2018 voter approval of Amendment 100. So far, nothing seems to have happened. ... Read more Cherokee Nation Appeals after Judge Voids Pope County Casino License January 16, 2023 - A Pulaski County Circuit Judge ruled this week that the casino license issued to Legends Casino in Pope County is unconstitutional and void. ... Read more Pope County Arkansas Casino Status Dec. 2022 December 21, 2022 - Construction of the proposed Legends Resort Casino Arkansas in Russellville, Arkansas remains on hold pending the outcome of two legal challenges. Both challenges lost their initial court decisions. ... Read more Arkansas Secretary of State rejects ballot petition to block Pope County casino August 14, 2022 - The Arkansas Secretary of State has blocked a proposed November ballot measure to stop block Cherokee Nation Businesses from building the Legends ... Read more Legends Resort Casino approved by Russellville Planning Commission July 15, 2022 - With ongoing litigation over Pope County casino license, and a week after a new anti-casino ballot petition was filed with the state, the Russellville Planning Commission voted ... Read more Headlines continued...

$225M Project Summary

CASINO - 50,000-sq-ft gaming floor with 1,200 slots, 21 table games and sportsbook

HOTEL - 200 luxury guest rooms and suites with pool, spa and fitness room

CONFERENCE CENTER - 15,000-sq-ft multipurpose space for meetings, entertainment and special functions

CONCERT VENUE - outdoor music and entertainment venue

WATERPARK - outdoor waterpark

RV PARK - RV and dog park with 100 RV spaces

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Features of Legends Resort Casino AR

Gaming

Restaurants

Entertainment

Hotel

Hotel and pool rendering of Legends Resort and Casino Arkansas

Conference and Meeting Space

RV Park

News Articles

Arkansas Supreme Court reopens Pope County casino license process

November 1, 2023

The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that Cherokee Nation Businesses was not a qualified applicant when granted the casino license for Pope County. The casino application process was invalid and must now be restarted from the beginning.

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Arkansas casino license back up for grabs - Courtesy of THV11, Oct 26, 2023. Available from YouTube

The ruling affirms a lower court ruling last Jan. 12 by Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Tim Fox, who sided with Gulfside Casino Partnership, the plaintiff, against the Arkansas Racing Commission licensing of Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB) and its Legends Resort and Casino plan.

The Arkansas Supreme Court released this statement:

"The ARC issued the Pope County casino license to both Legends and CNB. Yet at the time of this issuance, CNB had no application pending with the ARC. As stated, five applications were submitted during the May 2019 application period, but all five were rejected for failure to meet the requirements of amendment 100. Since then, the ARC did not reopen another application period during which it considered new applications. As CNB's only application before the ARC was submitted in May 2019 and was ultimately rejected, it was not a "qualified applicant" as required by amendment 100. So, the ARC acted ultra vires in issuing the license to CNB. We affirm the circuit court's decision on this point."

- Associate Justice Cody Hiland - AR Supreme Court

The Regulatory Division of the Department of Finance and Administration is now reviewing the court ruling and will be working with the Arkansas Racing Commission to restart the application process and open a new application window.

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Pope County Casino: Where did it go?

May 19, 2023

It has been nearly five years since Pope County was selected for one of four casino licenses authorized by the 2018 voter approval of Amendment 100. So far, nothing seems to have happened. A fight between two applicants for the casino is tied up in the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas is fighting to keep the casino license awarded to it by the Arkansas Racing Commission in 2021, and Gulfside Casino Partnership is fighting to regain the license from Legends after losing it over a documentation dispute.

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The development of Pope County casino | Here's what to know - Courtesy of THV11, May 9, 2023. Available from YouTube

A decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court is expected by end of summer, but could come at any time.

"At any moment, it could come down. We don't have the crystal ball to say or have any affirmative dates or anything, but we're hopeful that the case that's been breached will be ruled on, you know, before the end of summer, early fall."

- Mark Fulton, Cherokee Nation Entertainment

Cherokee Nation Entertainment is a partner in the Legends Resort Casino project. The casino is planned for a site off Hob Nob Road just north of Russellville. The casino will features 1,200 slot machines, 32 table games, a sportsbook, restaurants, a 13-story hotel, conference rooms, an outdoor amphitheater, and a family water park.

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Cherokee Nation Appeals after Judge Voids Pope County Casino License

January 16, 2023

A Pulaski County Circuit Judge ruled this week that the Arkansas Racing Commission's decision to issue a casino license to the Cherokee Nation in partnership with Legends Resort and Casino was unconstitutional, and thereby void.

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Judge voids Cherokee Nation's Pope County casino license
Courtesy of 5NEWS, Jan 13 2023. Available from YouTube

The lawsuit against Legends was brought by the Gulfside Casino Partnership, which was an original applicant for the license. Gulfside has been fighting for four years to build a $254M casino resort in Russellville named the River Valley Casino Resort.

The judge ruled the Legends license was void because Legends had no prior casino gaming experience as required Amendment 100, Section 4.

"Amendment 100 allows only for a single applicant for a casino license, and the Racing Commission acted ultra vires, in violation of Amendment 100, in issuing a casino license jointly to CNB when it had not submitted a casino license application."

- Judge Tim Fox

The Cherokee Nation has immediately appealed the decision to the Arkansas Supreme Court.

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Pope County Arkansas Casino Status Dec. 2022

December 21, 2022

Construction of the proposed Legends Resort Casino Arkansas in Russellville, Arkansas remains on hold pending the outcome of two legal challenges. Both challenges lost their initial court decisions.

One legal challenge to building the Pope County casino was dismissed last week by an Arkansas circuit judge. The group Citizens for a Better Pope County had filed suit against the Arkansas Racing Commission for awarding a casino license to Cherokee Nations Businesses.

Judge Griffen dismissed the case for the following reasons:

• The plaintiffs had no standing because they could show no injury or threatened injury.

• The claims are moot.

• The state cannot be sued.

• The plaintiffs failed to include all necessary parties.

- Circuit Court of Pulaski County, AR

Citizens for a Better Pope County is considering an appeal.

A second lawuit filed by Gulfside Casino Partnership is scheduled for a hearing before Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox on Jan. 3. Gulfside was initially selected for the casino license but was later rejected by the Arkansas Supreme Court

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Arkansas Secretary of State rejects ballot petition to block Pope County casino

August 14, 2022

The Arkansas Secretary of State has blocked a proposed November ballot measure to stop block Cherokee Nation Businesses from building the Legends Resort & Casino in Pope County.

The group Fair Play for Arkansas had submitted a ballot petition to the Secretary's Office in July that sought to remove Pope County from the casinos authorized in the 2018 casino measure.

The petition was rejected by the Secretary for lacking enough register voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. The petition was also found to be misleading in its text, and for not referencing the existing casino license issued to Cherokee Nation Businesses.

Fair Play for Arkansas plans to file an appeal with the Arkansas Supreme Court.

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Legends Resort Casino plan approved by Russellville Planning Commission

July 15, 2022

With ongoing litigation over the rightful Pope County casino licensee applicant, and a week after Fair Play for Arkansas filed a ballot petition with the Secretary of State to remove Pope County from the list of authorized casino locations, the Russellville Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the development plan for Legends Resort and Casino.

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Legends Casino gains approval in Pope County - Courtesy of KARK 4 News, Jul 13, 2022. Available from YouTube

Approval by the Russellville Planning Commission is a greenlight for Legends Casino to move forward with permits and approvals required for construction. The start of construction is subject to the successful resolution of litigations and the final outcome of the Fair Play ballot petition.

The sole Pope County casino license was issued to Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas in December 2021. Since that time Legends has acquired a 140-acre parcel of land as the building site for the casino complex.

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Choctaw Nation joins opposition to Cherokee Nation casino in Russellville

February 21, 2022

The Choctaw Nation has joined the opposition to the Cherokee Nation's plan to build a commercial casino in Pope County, Arkansas. Last week the state Ethics Commission reported the Choctaw Nation donated $125,000 to Fair Play Arkansas, an anti-casino group in Pope County. The group is seeking signatures for a new constitutional amendment to remove Pope County from gambling.

Last year the Choctaw Nation was unsuccessful in bidding for the sole casino license allocated to Pope County. The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma was the final winner of the competition and received a state license in December 2021 to build the Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas in Russellville, Arkansas.

The Choctaw Nation owns Choctaw Casino & Resort in Pocola, Oklahoma near Fort Smith, Arkansas. The distance is less than 100 miles from Russellville, AR.

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Legends Resort & Casino Remains on Hold

January 12, 2022

The Pope County casino project is still on hold. Construction is not expected to begin until the remaining legal challenges are resolved. The CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB) said last week:

"Our legal team is working to quickly dismiss all pending litigation. It is important to note that many aspects of timing are out of our hands and ultimately controlled by the courts. We remain hopeful that all will be resolved in the coming weeks and months so that we can break ground on Legends Resort & Casino as soon as possible."

- Chuck Garrett, CNB CEO

CNB is also waiting for an updated environmental traffic study before completing the purchase of the casino property which has been held in option since 2019.

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Cherokee casino proposal wins Pope County license

November 14, 2021

The Arkansas Racing Commission voted 3-2 Friday to award the Pope County casino license to Cherokee Nations Businesses. The Cherokee will build Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas north of Interstate 40 on Nob Hill Road in Russellville, Arkansas.

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Racing commission votes to grant Pope County casino license to Cherokee Nation Businesses - Courtesy of KARK 4 News, Nov 12, 2021. Available from YouTube

The Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas project will be built in three phases. Phase 1 will construct a 50,000-square-foot casino with 1,200 slot machines, 21 table games and a sportsbook. The second phase will build a hotel with 200 guest rooms, a spa and a pool. The final phase will add a conference center, concert venue, outdoor waterpark and a RV park.

The Pope County casino licensing comes a month after the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled against the commission's previous decision to award the license to Gulfside Casino Partnership.

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Cherokee Nation's application for Pope County casino is back into play after high court ruling

February 9, 2021

Last June the Arkansas Racing Commission awarded the sole casino license for Pope County to Gulfside Casino Partnership of Mississippi. The selection was opposed by the Cherokee Nation Businesses, which promptly appealed the decision. The Cherokee had proposed a casino and hotel in Russellville to be named Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas.

This week the Arkansas Supreme Court put the Pope County casino license issue back into play by agreeing with a Cherokee Nation lawsuit against the Arkansas Racing Commission's selection of Gulfside Casino and sending the case back to a lower court.

The Arkansas Supreme Court released this statement of opinion:

"This case is part of ongoing litigation for the sole casino license available in Pope County. The narrow question before us is whether the circuit court erred in refusing to allow Cherokee Nation Businesses LLC, to intervene in litigation brought by Gulfside Casino Partnership against the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration and the Arkansas Racing Commission. We conclude that Cherokee was entitled to intervention as a matter of right and therefore reverse and remand the circuit court's decision.

[...]

"We conclude that Cherokee has a 'recognized interest' in the litigation based on its interest in the license, having its license application considered, and its contract with Pope County."

- Shawn A. Womack, Associate Justice

The legal counsel for Cherokee Nation Businesses responded with this statement:

"This means that, for now, the state statute and Arkansas Racing Commission rule that both expressly disqualify Gulfside as an applicant are back in effect.

"Thanks to today's ruling, the Arkansas Supreme Court will have the opportunity to hear that question. We will consider next steps in the other pending cases, but it would not make sense to litigate a temporary casino nor any of the Commission's past decisions so long as Gulfside is legally barred from filing an application in the first place."

- Dustin McDaniel, Legal Counsel

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Arkansas Supreme Court: "Cherokee Nation is qualified applicant for Pope County casino"

July 22, 2020

The Arkansas Supreme Court overturned the ruling of Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox that the Cherokee Business Nation was not a qualified applicant for the Pope County casino license. This reversal should require another review of the Pope County casino applicants by the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC).

The Cherokee Nation applied for the Pope County casino in partnership with Legends, a hospitality and stadium-management company. The partnership, named Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas, proposed a casino complex in Russellville, AR.

Judge Fox's rejected Legends Resort & Casino as a qualified applicant for "having no experience at operating a casino anywhere in the country ". The Cherokee Nation operates nine casinos in Oklahoma and has decades of casino experience. The Supreme Court agreed with the Cherokee saying "Legends is indeed a casino applicant as defined by the Arkansas Constitution amendment that voters passed during a 2018 ballot referendum."

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Arkansas' Pope County casino selection is pending

April 25, 2020

The final selection of a casino applicant to build a casino in Pope County is in its last phase. The Arkansas Racing Commission will decide sometime after July 1 whether to license the Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas proposed by the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma in partnership with Legends, a hospitality and stadium-management company, or the River Valley Casino Resort proposed by Gulfside Casino Partners, a Mississippi casino group.

Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas
This $225 million resort and casino would be built on 135 acres north of Interstate 40 on Nob Hill Road and feature a 50,000-sq-ft gaming floor, 1,200 slots, 21 table games, a 2-room hotel, conference center, concert venue, waterpark and RV park.

River Valley Casino Resort Proposal
This $254 million casino resort would be built in Russellville and feature a 100,000 square-foot gaming floor, 2,100 slot machines, 100 table games and a 600-room hotel.

Last August the Cherokee Nation's Legends Casino application was selected by the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) over four other applicants including Gulfside. This prompted Gulfside to file a lawsuit against the ARC claiming it was the "only applicant for Pope County that timely complied with every requirement of Amendment 100."

On March 24 a Pulaski County circuit judge ruled the Gulfside application was improperly rejected and must be reconsidered by the ARC "on its merits".

In an ARC meeting following the court decision, the commission voted unanimously to accept both the Cherokee Nation application and the Gulfside application. The commission then contracted Jim Fox, a gambling consultant, to review the applications and make a recommendation on them before June 30.

The ARC is expected to meet in early July to review the evaluation report of the contractor and make a final selection for the Pope County casino.

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Cherokee Nation study shows $3B economic impact from proposed Arkansas casino

February 21, 2020

This week Cherokee Nation Businesses released a study on the potential economic impact on Pope County and Northwest Arkansas by the tribe's proposed Legends Resort and Casino Arkansas in Russellville, AR.

The study by the Economic Impact Group (EIG) predicts the economic impact on that area will be $3.15 billion over 10 years.

ECONOMIC IMPACT FINDINGS OVER FIRST 10 YEARS

• Direct employment of 1000 jobs

• Jobs Supported 1750+ - 21000+ jobs

• Employee Income $43.3 - $530 MM

• Vendor Purchases from businesses $22.4 - $296 MM

• $2 - $18.9 MM to Pope County Community Development Grant

• $4.3 - $52.3 MM Taxes paid to Pope County

• $100 - $945 K to Russellville Economic Development Alliance

Source: Legends Resort & Casino

In a news release, Chuck Garrett, CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses, said: "In forming our plans for Legends Resort & Casino, we turned to a network of experts to help us understand how this project would impact the region's economy. It was fitting for us to engage this research through Dr. Russell Evans and EIG who are already very familiar with current CNB (Cherokee Nation Businesses) operations."

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Choctaw Nation files for Arkansas casino

November 23, 2019

The Choctaw Nation submitted an application with the Arkansas Racing Commission for a license to build a commercial casino in Pope County. The submission was just hours before the 4:30PM final deadline for all applications, and three days after the Cherokee Nation amended its application

Pope County officials have endorsed the Cherokee Nation application. Under Arkansas Amendment 100, all applications for a new casino must include an endorsement of support from county officials.

The Choctaw application did not include documentation of local support. When asked why, Janie Dillard, a senior executive officer for the Choctaw Nation, replied in a written statement:

"The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has consistently advocated for a fair, open and transparent process. We hope that the state will take action to allow all proposals to receive fair consideration."

An additional explanation with more information should be expected soon.

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Cherokee Nation's casino proposal is rejected by Russellville City Council

UPDATE Nov. 21, 2019

The Russellville City Council approved a resolution endorsing the casino proposal submitted by Cherokee Nation Businesses.

October 11, 2019

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma is partnering with Legends, a hospitality company founded by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, has proposed building a $225 million casino named Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas in Russellville, Arkansas.

Last August the Legends proposal was selected by a local judge and quorum court over four other casino candidates for licensing by the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Last week the Russellville City Council announced it had received four casino applications prior to its deadline. The Council said it has rejected the Legends casino proposal on the basis of an incomplete application. The office of Mayor Richard Harris explained that a consent and release form required in the application was not signed.

Cherokee Nation Businesses CEO Chuck Garrett responded with a different perspective. He said they have not actually applied for review by city officials and the Community Gaming Evaluation Committee. Rather, the company delivered a project overview to county and city officials, including the Russellville City Council, in an effort to "keep the community and elected officials informed."

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Cherokee Nation selected for Pope County casino

August 11, 2019

The Cherokee Nation's casino application to build a casino in Russellville has been selected by a local judge and quorum court over four other candidates for Pope County's sole casino endorsement submitted to the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Cherokee Nation Businesses, the casino management company of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is partnering with Legends, a hospitality company founded by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

The letter of support was issued by Pope County Judge Ben Cross and the local Quorum Court. It is required at the time a casino license application is submitted to the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Five applications were previously submitted to the Arkansas Racing Commission for the sole casino license to be issued in Pope County. All five were rejected by for lacking a letter of support from local officials. The deadline was extended for applicants to work with the Pope County judge and the Quorum Court for endorsement.

The four casino proposals that were passed came from the Choctaw Nation, Gulfside Casino Partners, Hard Rock International & Warner Gaming partnership, and Robert and Ruth Kehl.

Hard Rock's reaction to losing the endorsement was stated in a letter released immediately afterwards:

"Remarkably, we were asked if we could submit our final offer after we were informed that a different operator will be selected. This clearly is not what we expected when we started this process."

"We have continually asked for a fair, open and transparent process and all of the applicants who have spent a significant amount of time and money deserve this, More importantly, the public deserves this."

The Cherokee Nation owns nine casinos in Oklahoma:

Cherokee Casino Fort Gibson
Cherokee Casino Grove
Cherokee Casino Roland
Cherokee Casino Sallisaw
Cherokee Casino South Coffeyville
Cherokee Casino Tahlequah
Cherokee Casino Ramona
Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs
Hard Rock Casino Tulsa

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News Headlines Continued

2022

Choctaw Nation joins opposition to Cherokee Nation casino in Russellville February 21, 2022 - The Choctaw Nation has joined the opposition to the Cherokee Nation's plan to build a commercial casino in Pope County, Arkansas. Last week the state Ethics Commission ... Read more Legends Resort & Casino Remains on Hold January 12, 2022 - The Pope County casino project is still on hold. Construction is not expected to begin until the remaining legal challenges are resolved. The CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB) said last week: ... Read more >

2021

Cherokee casino proposal wins Pope County license November 14, 2021 - The Arkansas Racing Commission voted 3-2 Friday to award the Pope County casino license to Cherokee Nations Businesses. The Cherokee will build Legends Casino ... Read more Cherokee Nation wins Pope County casino case in Arkansas Supreme Court October 24, 2021 - The Arkansas Supreme Court sided with the Cherokee Nation in a dispute over the sole casino license in Pope County. The court overturned an earlier approval for Gulfside ... Read more Arkansas's Pope County casino license case is headed to Supreme Court June 3, 2021 - For the second time a Pulaski County circuit judge ruled in favor of the Arkansas Racing Commission's decision on June 18, 2020 to award the sole Pope County casino license ... Read more Cherokee sue to reverse Pope County casino decision March 13, 2021 - Cherokee Nation Businesses (CBN) have filed another lawsuit to reverse the decision of the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) that granted the sole Pope County casino license to Gulfside Partners ... Read more Cherokee Nation's application for Pope County casino is back into play after high court ruling February 9, 2021 - This week the Arkansas Supreme Court put the Pope County casino license issue back into play by agreeing with a Cherokee Nation lawsuit against the ... Read more

2020

Arkansas Supreme Court: "Cherokee Nation is qualified applicant for Pope County casino" July 22, 2020 - The Arkansas Supreme Court overturned the ruling of Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox that the Cherokee Business Nation was not a qualified ... Read more Arkansas' Pope County casino selection is pending April 25, 2020 - The final selection of a casino applicant to build a casino in Pope County is in its last phase. The Arkansas Racing Commission will decide sometime after July 1st whether to license the Legends Resort ... Read more Cherokee Nation study shows $3B economic impact from proposed Arkansas casino February 21, 2020 - This week Cherokee Nation Businesses released a study showing a $3B economic impact on Pope County and Northwest Arkansas from the proposed Legends ... Read more

2019

Choctaw Nation files for Arkansas casino November 23, 2019 - The Choctaw Nation submitted an application with the Arkansas Racing Commission for a license to build a commercial casino in Pope County. The submission was just hours before the 4:30PM final deadline ... Read more Cherokee Nation's casino proposal is rejected by Russellville City Council October 11, 2019 - Last week the Russellville City Council rejected the casino application from the Cherokee Nations and Legends Hospitality as incomplete. The $225M casino proposal ... Read more Cherokee Nation, Legends preview $225M Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas August 12, 2019 - Plans to build the Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas in Russellville were revealed today. The $225M project includes an outdoor waterpark, outdoor music venue, ... Read more Cherokee Nation selected for Pope County casino August 11, 2019 - The Cherokee Nation in partnership with Legends, a Cowboys/Yankees-backed hospitality company, wins court endorsement to build a casino and hotel complex in Russellville. ... Read more