Southland Gaming & Racing officially rebranded as Southland Casino Racing this month after formally acquiring its casino license on April 1 from the Arkansas Racing Commission.
The commission approval of the license allows for expanded gaming operations as permitted under the 2018 gaming expansion amendment approved by Arkansas voters.
“Southland is opening up to 40 live table games today, including blackjack, craps and roulette,” David Wolf, president and general manager of Southland, said when the doors opened with expanded offerings. “This new gaming offering has created over 100 jobs here in West Memphis.”
The blackjack, craps and roulette tables are available on both the casino’s first floor and the racing mezzanine’s second floor. Southland has the only “Blaze Roulette” tables in the mid-south region. Blaze roulette tables have an LED lightbox beneath the gaming surface displaying eye-catching animations, game-state prompts and winning numbers. The license also allows for full-fledged casino operations, including the expansion of slot machines. With 2,050 machines on the casino floor, Southland has the most machines of any casino in the mid-south area.
The launch of table games comes after Delaware North, which owns and operates Southland, in January announced plans for a $250 million expansion of the gaming and entertainment destination to include a new casino complex and high-rise hotel. Construction on the project is expected to begin this summer, with completion of the casino complex and parking garage anticipated about 12 months later and hotel tower about six months after that.