State religious groups protest gambling proposal

Melissa Nelson

Thursday, July 13, 2000 | 9:20 a.m.

LITTLE ROCK - Increased legalized gambling will lower the quality of life in Arkansas while increasing crime and bankruptcy, the leaders of several state family and religious groups said Wednesday.

The groups oppose a constitutional amendment to expand legalized gambling in Arkansas. Supporters of the initiative submitted 80,881 signatures to the Secretary of State's Office last week in an effort to put the issue before voters in November.

The proposed amendment would establish casinos under the control of the Arkansas Casino Corp. in Boone, Crittenden, Garland, Miller, Pulaski and Sebastian counties.

The amendment also would create the Arkansas Gaming Commission, which would set up and operate a state lottery and regulate bingo games run by charities.

The Arkansas Committee for Ethics Policy, Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council, Families First and United Methodists Against Gambling spoke out against a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling.

"For the most part, Arkansas Casino Corporation has been given a free ride. Their representations have gone unchallenged," said Larry Page, executive director of Arkansas Committee for Ethics Policy and the Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council.

Page said the amendment would give the Arkansas Casino Corporation an unregulated monopoly in the state and would force casinos on counties that might not support casino gambling.

"The proposed amendment allows Arkansas Casino Corporation, and only that corporation, to operate casinos in the state of Arkansas. That is not good government, it's not good public policy and it's not good for the marketplace," he said.

Supporters of the initiative say it will increase the number of jobs in the state, bring in additional visitors and, with them, additional tax revenue.

But Bill Wheeler, executive director of Families First Action Committee, said Wednesday casino gambling is a simple as ABC - addiction, bankruptcy and crime.

"Crittenden County has been my home for 25 years. It is the only home known to my grandchildren. I want the very best for them, and a casino in their backyard and in their life is not in their best interests," said Wheeler.

Families First Action Committee has members from 2,500 churches throughout the state, Wheeler said.

The groups have fought previous efforts to expand gambling, which now is limited to pari-mutuel wagering at the Oaklawn Park thoroughbred track in Hot Springs and the Southland Greyhound Park at West Memphis.

A video gambling plan was denounced two years ago as the "crack cocaine of gambling" by Families First. The Page council, formerly known as the Christian Civic Action Committee, successfully initiated challenges to many gambling-expansion plans in the 1990s.

Page said the groups will wait to see if the latest initiative qualifies for the November ballot before launching a full campaign against casino gambling.

"We are gearing up and getting ready for the fight if the initiative survives," he said.