Two Arkansas Casino Executives On Chopping Block, Accused Of Starting Competing Gaming Company

There’s major drama brewing at the second-largest casino in Arkansas, where two top executives are reportedly on the verge of being fired and one of the two had to be hospitalized last Thursday after learning of his impending dismissal.

The Arkansas Times acquired a two-page resolution from Saracen Casino Resort, signed Thursday, in which the Board of Directors of the Downstream Development Authority of the Quapaw Nation voted 5-0 to recommend the terminations of General Manager Matt Harkness and Chief Marketing Officer Carlton Saffa. The board accused the pair of creating their own gaming company, GamePhysics, and marketing it to “third parties with the Arkansas Gaming Industry” in conflict with their duties as Saracen executives.

According to the local paper, Saffa “collapsed on the floor from the shock” when he was informed of the resolution and had to be hospitalized for a few hours at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff.

The timeline for Saracen to act on the recommendation of the board of directors is unknown, though Saffa told The Arkansas Times on Friday that he had already received multiple job offers since the resolution became public knowledge.

Multiple ‘good causes’ for termination

The board’s resolution asserts that, by starting GamePhysics, Saffa and Harkness violated “obligations not to engage in conflicting employment activities while employed by Saracen and obligations not to compete.”

The resolution contains additional accusations: It says Harkness “failed to exercise care, diligence, and financial oversight required for the management of Sarance’s finances, and that such gross negligence resulted in Saracen’s financial instability and constitutes an additional basis for termination for good cause.” It adds that both Harkness and Saffa “approved sponsorships and donations in excess of Saracen’s applicable policy limits without obtaining the required majority vote approval.”

By both physical size and annual revenue, Saracen, located in Pine Bluff, is the second largest of Arkansas’ three casinos, behind Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis. The property opened in October 2020.

In late 2024 and early 2025, Arkansas emerged as a seemingly viable contender to legalize online casino play, and Saffa was a leading voice behind that push. HB 1861 and SB 524 stalled out last year, however, after being pulled by their sponsors for interim study.