Arkansas debuted its casino market
Two tracks started their operations this week in Arkansas, which has officially debuted its casino market.
US.- Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs and Southland Casino and Racing in West Memphis opened their doors to the public this week with an expanded offering in their services. The facilities officially debuted casino gambling in the state, with games such as blackjack, poker, roulette and slots.
As part of the new offerings, Southland Gaming and Racing changed its name to Southland Casino Racing, which better reflects the facility’s services. Southland officially debuted its casino operations on Monday at 4 am and it offers 2,000 traditional slot machines and 40 live table games.
On the other hand, Oaklawn has added eight live games to its 1,300 electronic games. The facility announced in November a US$100 million expansion that is set to start its construction process in May. It includes a 200-room hotel, an entertainment venue, restaurants and 28,000 square feet of additional floor space for gambling.
Southland also promised US$250 million for an expanded facility, set to include a 20-story hotel with four restaurants. Furthermore, it will add 500 slot machines and 20 table games.
The latest assessment on casino gambling sets that three casinos operating until 2022 in Arkansas will generate US$31.2 million a year by 2020. The following year, any excess over that mark will be sent to fund the state’s new highway plan. By 2028, the state predicts more than US$74 million in revenue.
