Casinos on the Ballot: Rundown of Election Day Gambling Measures

Voters across the United States of America will cast their ballots on Tuesday, November 5, with millions more having already voted through early voting initiatives. And while the battle between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is the headline race, there are thousands of elections taking place across the country, as well as some significant casino and gambling questions that voters will weigh in on.

Each of these state-level votes is unique, and voters face decisions ranging from approving casinos to regulating sports betting. Here’s a look at some of the significant gaming initiatives we’ll be following as election results begin rolling in on Tuesday night.

Virginia: Petersburg Votes on Proposed Casino

Residents of Petersburg, Virginia are voting on whether to approve a casino resort in their city. The venue, which would be known as the Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia, has already generated headlines due to the controversy over how the city chose the Cordish Company as its casino developer.

The Petersburg City Council and the state legislature engaged in a back-and-forth over the apparent lack of transparency regarding that decision, with city officials saying there was pressure from legislators who in turn say they had only tried to help the city earn state approval to host a casino. 

But with the process questions now in rear view mirror, the future of the casino – a $1.4 billion development that would include 1,600 slot machines, table games, a poker room, a sportsbook, and a 200-room hotel, among other amenities – comes down to a straight vote of local citizens. City officials are encouraging residents to vote yes.

“Job growth – that’s the most important thing – economic development, stimulus,” Petersburg Vice Mayor Darrin Hill told ABC 8 News. “I know people have heard it in the past, but this right here is a game changer.”

Missouri: Sports Betting Regulation, Ozarks Casino

Missouri voters face two state constitutional amendments regarding the gaming industry on their ballots. 

First, there’s Amendment 2, which would legalize online and retail sports betting in the state. If approved, casinos and professional sports teams would be able to operate their own sportsbooks. Betting revenue would be taxed at 10 percent, with proceeds going to education.

The state’s sports franchises – including the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals – see sports betting as a way to increase engagement at their games. Others have argued that Missouri should get in on sports betting simply to keep gambling money from flowing into neighboring states, seven of which already allow for sports betting. 

Then there’s Amendment 5, which would allow for a commercial casino to be built in Lake Ozark along the Osage River. 

The Osage River and Gaming Convention (ORGC) committee engaged in a legal battle to ensure its amendment appeared on the ballot, after some of the signatures collected to qualify under the state’s initiative petition process were questioned. The initiative was ultimately approved, sending the question to the state’s voters.

The proposed Lake of the Ozarks casino would be built by Bally’s and RIS. The goal is to get a commercial casino in the popular vacation destination, before another project by the Osage Nation – which is still waiting for state and federal approvals – can be built. 

Arkansas: Tribes Battle Over Pope County Casino, Local Control

Voters may finally put an end to the years-long saga of establishing a casino in Pope County, Arkansas, as they’ll be asked to vote on an anti-casino amendment on the state ballot.

Here’s how we got to this point. Arkansas voters approved casino gambling in the state in 2018 when they passed Amendment 100, which authorized two casino venues, including one in Pope County. In 2020, the Arkansas Racing Commission approved Gulfside Casino Partnership for that license, but that license was later nullified after courts found that Gulfside didn’t have the proper letter of endorsement.

The ARC then awarded the Pope County License to a partnership between Cherokee Nation Businesses and Legends Resort Casino in 2021. However, another court battle led to that license being revoked in 2023, when the Arkansas Supreme Court found that the state constitution only allowed a single entity to hold a casino license. 

Finally, the ARC awarded the license again to the entity now known as Cherokee Nation Entertainment this summer. However, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma – which runs casinos just over the border in Oklahoma, within driving distance of the proposed Pope County casino in Russellville – organized a group known as Local Voters in Charge to gather signatures and support for Issue 2, which would revoke the Pope County license and require local referendums on any new Arkansas casinos.

Essentially, the battle over Issue 2 is a proxy war between the Choctaw and Cherokee gaming interests, each of whom have spent millions on their sides of this campaign. If voters approve the measure, it will mark the third time a Pope County casino license will have to be revoked – and make the process of a future licensee ever opening a casino much more difficult. 

(Image: Bastiaan Slabbers / Sipa US)