A woman plays a slot machine at a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
This story has been updated.
The issuance of Arkansas’ fourth and final casino license will be delayed — again — likely for months.
And if the litigious history of the Pope County casino permit is a guide, the wait could be far longer.
The Arkansas Racing Commission, which oversees the state’s casinos, met for a half hour on Wednesday, but it took no action, instead deciding to study a set of proposed rule changes until next week.
The changes aim to mitigate lawsuits against the commission and allow it to open a new application period for the license to operate a casino near Russellville.
“So, we’re basically wiping the slate clean and starting it all over?” Commissioner Mark Lamberth asked Deputy Attorney General Doralee Chandler, who responded that was an appropriate way to look at it.
The slate being wiped clean is five years of bureaucratic and legal battles waged by dozens of lobbyists and attorneys for hopeful casino operators and Pope County residents opposed to any casino in their community.