Oaklawn Racing & Gaming officially changed its name to Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort on Thursday to reflect the addition of its first full-service casino games in a few days and its upcoming expansion, which will include a luxury hotel.
It is the first time in the racetrack's 115-year history that the word "casino" has been added to its name; until now, the "gaming" wording referred only to electronic games of skill.
Oaklawn said in a news release on Thursday that it will begin offering live craps and live blackjack on Monday while continuing to offer popular slot games, and add sports betting in the coming weeks.
"There has never been a more exciting time in Oaklawn's history than right now," Oaklawn President Louis Cella said in the release.
"We are already reaping the benefits of racing all the way through May 4 with amazing crowds and world-class racing. We couldn't be more thrilled about our future as we continue to elevate thoroughbred racing and strengthen regional tourism in Hot Springs and Arkansas."
The Arkansas Racing Commission on Saturday approved casino licenses for Oaklawn and Southland Gaming and Racing in West Memphis. The racetracks formerly offered electronic games of skill, but were authorized to be licensed as full-fledged casinos by the state under Amendment 100 to the Arkansas Constitution, which voters approved last fall.
Oaklawn announced a $100 million expansion last November after passage of Issue 4, which became Amendment 100, but track officials maintained that the expansion project had been in the planning stages since 2014 and was not connected to the election outcome.
The expansion will include 28,000 square feet of additional gaming space that will open prior to the 2020 live racing season.
The expansion also includes a 200-room luxury hotel with pool, spa and fitness center, a 14,000-square-foot multipurpose entertainment center to open prior to the 2021 racing season, along with additional dining options.
The Hot Springs Planning Commission unanimously approved the site plan for Oaklawn's expansion on March 14, signing off on the expansion of the gaming area and the construction of a 200-room hotel south of the current gaming area.
The approved plan includes relocating the main entrance at the intersection of Central and Woodlawn avenues more than 500 feet south, where it would align with the Sonic Drive-In entrance at 3000 Central Ave. A traffic study Oaklawn commissioned recommended the relocation, which includes relocating the traffic signal at Central and Woodlawn to the new entrance.
In addition to the hotel and expanded gaming area, Oaklawn will build a 25,000-square-foot podium building featuring a 50-seat casino patio bar and 100-seat restaurant with outdoor balconies. An 80-seat food court and the 14,000-square-foot event center are also part of the plan.
The expansion will connect to the south side of the existing games of skill area. The city said parking data provided by Oaklawn showed the south parking lot will have 1,387 parking spots when the project is completed, joining 532 spaces in the north parking lot and 837 off-site spaces south of Golf Links.
Local on 03/29/2019