Anti-Gambling Group Files Suit to Stop Casino

(Little Rock) – The leader of an Arkansas group spearheading a legal challenge that seeks to strike down a state law that expands gambling in Hot Springs and West Memphis, said today they are prepared to take their case to the State Supreme Court if necessary.

Jerry Cox, director of the Family Council Action Committee, said in response to this week's lower court decision to overrule their case in Hot Springs, that his resolve is strengthened and he looks forward to seeing this case through to the end.

“I’ve said from the beginning that we’ll take this case as far as we need in our effort to see justice done,” Cox said. “We lost in Hot Springs. If we win in West Memphis, then we have no need to appeal. If we lose in West Memphis, then we will most certainly appeal. Before the lawsuit was filed, we knew we had to prepare for a fight all the way to the State Supreme Court, and believe me, we’re ready for it.”

“We knew this would not be easy,” Cox said, “but when justice is at stake, it doesn’t matter how difficult the work is. The cause is worth it. It is still very much our contention that the Legislature should never have given two private businesses, Oaklawn and Southland racetracks, the authority to call for local elections on the expansion of gambling and determine who would be allowed to vote in that election. That’s wrong on every level.”

“Because of ACT 1151, the law we seek to strike down as unconstitutional, an Indian tribe is poised to build a casino in Fort Smith without any consent of the local people or government. Because of ACT 1151, casino style gambling will be coming to Hot Springs and West Memphis, without any consent of the people who live outside those city limits. It’s an egregious injustice that the will of Oaklawn and Southland is being forced on every citizen outside the city limits of Hot Springs and West Memphis. They have had no voice in something absolutely critical to them. That’s who we’re fighting for, and this fight is far from over.”