Casino proponents in Arkansas are beefing up their campaign funds to ensure that games will be legalized in the state.
The Associated Press reported that pro-casino group Driving Arkansas Forward (DAF) have collected $1.2 million in June from several donors, including the Downstream Development Authority of the Quapaw Tribe and Cherokee Nation Businesses LLC.
DAF reported that it spent around $715,711 in June just to encourage residents to sign a petition to place an amendment to the state constitution on the November ballot. The group’s expenses includesome $385,728 for advertising.
The group has been proposing for Arkansas to legalize gambling at a Hot Springs horse track and a West Memphis dog track, where video poker and other electronic games were already offered, as well as legalize casinos in Jefferson and Pope counties.
Arkansas is one of the few conservative states that have yet to fully embrace gambling. The state doesn’t have tribal casinos and betting and it only allows betting on dog and horse races. For the initiative to be included in the ballot, proponents need to collect at least 84,859 signatures from registered voters.
Casino proponents have reportedly turned in 96,170 signatures last July 6.
Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun report mixed June slot revenue results
In other tribal casino news, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Sun reported mixed slot revenue results in June.
On Friday, the Mashantucket tribe announced that the slot revenue of Foxwoods Resort Casino grew by 5.7 percent to $40.1 million last month compared with $37.9 million it recorded in June 2017.
The amount slot bettors wagered in June, known as the “handle,” was nearly $500 million, up 3.5 percent compared with the $482.7 million wagered in the prior year period. The tribal operator said that it remitted $10 million to the Connecticut’s general fund in June.
The Mohegans, on the other hand, saw a flat slot revenue in June despite seeing an increase in the amount that bettors wagered.
Mohegan Sun’s June slot revenue was at $49.4 million, a 0.26 percent increase from June 2017, while its handle grew by more than $6 million to $611.9 million last month. Mohegan said it contributed $12.3 million in gaming taxes to the State of Connecticut in June.
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