Fort Smith Slot Machines

Bennie Westphal owns 75 acres of land near downtown Fort Smith – right along the Arkansas River – and he wants to put slot machines on that land. He is currently negotiating with the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees to have part of the land to build a slot machine casino. The Keetoowah tribe has purchased 10 acres that are just north of River Park, and they are trying to put that land into a trust, because they cannot put their slot machines on it until they do.

The Keetoowahs have already tried to get the and into trust by applying to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. If the federal government agrees, the tribe can bring in Class 2 slot machines as well as a hotel on the land. The tribe can bring in the slot machines because under federal law they can have the same slot machines as are offered anywhere else in the state. With West Memphis and Hot Springs’ voters allowing the Class 2 slot machines to be offered at racetracks there – they opened the door for the tribe to do so as well.

The casino would have slot machines, a hotel, etc. which would be part of a larger complex that would include homes, museums and retail stores. The hotel and slot machine casino alone would bring in over 1,000 jobs for the development, and another 800 for full time employees. The slot machine casino would have twice as many slot machines as their other casino in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.



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