Supporters of two separate efforts to legalize casinos in Arkansas have turned in petitions seeking to place the proposals on the ballot in November.
Texas businessman Michael Wasserman submitted 4,544 pages of petitions that he said have 83,772 signatures from registered voters for his proposed constitutional amendment. The proposal needs 78,133 signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Wasserman's proposal would allow him to operate casinos in Boone, Crittenden, Garland, Jefferson, Miller, Pulaski and Sebastian counties. He turned in his petitions a minute before Friday's deadline. Election officials will conduct a rough count of the signatures and have up to 30 days to verify them.
Also Friday, professional poker player Nancy Todd submitted signatures for a proposal that would allow her to operate casinos in Crittenden, Franklin, Miller and Pulaski counties.
