Saracen Casino Resort Expected to Fire GM Mark Harkness and CMO Carlton Saffa

Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Ark., is reportedly set to terminate General Manager Mark Harkness and Chief Marketing Officer Carlton Saffa over allegations that they violated their employment contracts by forming and operating a separate gaming entity.

The Downstream Development Authority, a commercial enterprise owned and operated by the Quapaw Nation of Oklahoma, approved a resolution on Thursday (Sept. 24) in support of Harkness’s and Saffa’s terminations. The resolution said the conduct of the two executives “constitutes good cause for termination.”

The Quapaw Nation Business Committee still needs to approve the resolution to make their firings official. The resolution alleged that Harkness and Saffa created a gaming company called GamePhysics and marketed its products and/or services to “third parties within the Arkansas gaming industry.”

The Downstream Development Authority resolution says those actions violated their employment terms, which prohibit employees from engaging in conflicting employment activities and obligations not to compete.

Saffa Shocked

Saffa has been with Saracen Casino Resort from the beginning, leading the tribe’s commercial casino pursuit in Arkansas since 2019, just months after Arkansas voters passed Issue 4 to allow a casino in Jefferson County.

Over his seven years at the helm of Saracen’s public communications, Saffa has emerged as among the most prominent figures in the Arkansas gaming industry. Saffa led the opposition to Arkansas allowing DraftKings and FanDuel to come to the state earlier this year, saying all three casinos were once united in opposing the big-name sportsbook brands.

Saffa has been the go-to voice for all things gambling in Arkansas. Reached for comment about the resolution, Saffa told Casino.org it came as “a total shock.”

Saffa said he collapsed to the floor upon hearing the news on Thursday and was rushed to Jefferson Regional Medical Center, where he received fluids and was released after a few hours of monitoring.

Saffa rejected the claims that he violated his employment contract by running a separate gaming entity, saying the accusations aren’t an accurate description of the circumstances. However, he declined to comment on what sort of business GamePhysics is engaged in.

Saffa said he’s already fielded several new job offers over the 48 hours since the news broke.

Saracen Story

Jefferson County partnered with the Quapaw Nation after Issue 4 passed in 2018 to build a casino resort in Pine Bluff.

Saracen opened in October 2020 at a cost of $350 million. The casino features 1,600 slot machines, 40 live dealer table games, a poker room, and the BetSaracen Sportsbook. Dining options include the Red Oak Steakhouse, Legends Restaurant, Saracen Sports Bar, and The Post.

Saracen recently completed a $250 million expansion that resulted in the 1,600-seat Saracen Event Center and a 14-story, 320-room hotel.