Cherokee Nation Business Sues Arkansas After Issue Passes Tuesday

Cherokee Nation Business is suing the state of Arkansas after voters passed an issue that would amend the constitution halting plans for a casino on I-40 halfway between Ft. Smith and Littlerock.

Cherokee Nation Entertainment has been fighting for 6 years to put this Casino in Pope County.

They say the Choctaw Nation funded efforts to get the amendment passed because the Choctaw Nation lost out on getting a license in that same county.

The Legends Casino and Resort that Cherokee Nation Entertainment has been working to build in Pope County, Arkansas, got its license back in June.

That amendment that voters in Arkansas approved says a casino cannot get a license to operate without both a state and a county vote.

Cherokee Nation Entertainment is suing the state because they had already gotten the license to build the Legends Casino before the vote.

The lawsuit claims the state violated due process and the contract they already signed, among other things. It requests a temporary restraining order and injunction preventing the constitutional amendment from taking effect next week.

Cherokee Nation Business sent News On 6 the following statement:

"Expanding into commercial markets is a natural progression for CNB’s gaming and hospitality business. Although passage of Issue 2 in Arkansas shifts our immediate plans for building Legends Resort & Casino, we remain committed to defending our investment and protecting the license we fairly earned and were afforded through the Arkansas constitution. Today, our legal team filed litigation in federal court on multiple grounds to protect our constitutional rights."

The Cherokee Nation has been expanding its gaming operations outside of Oklahoma to states like Arkansas and Mississippi.

The tribe recently took over the MGM Gold Strike Casino in Mississippi in 2023.

News On 6 reached out to the Choctaw Nation about the group opposing the casino and they are not commenting on the issue.