A bill that would have allowed Arkansas universities to hold fundraising raffles failed in a House committee meeting that included a fiery testimony from a Saracen Casino executive who said he was “blindsided” by “false testimony” from the athletic director of the University of Arkansas.
Tensions remain high over this issue, which is likely to come up again during the current legislative session.
Presented by lead sponsor RJ Hawk (R-Bryant) with support from Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, House Bill 1044 would allow Arkansas universities to conduct what are colloquially known as 50/50 raffles. Already being utilized by several NCAA Division I schools including Florida, Kentucky, Georgia and Tennessee, these raffles typically award half the proceeds from ticket sales to the winner of a drawing.
