Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort has been setting trends for years, and that trend is continuing, Oaklawn President Louis Cella told Hot Springs National Park Rotary Club's weekly meeting on Wednesday.
"Last year, when I was honored to address this organization, I spoke how things have changed quite a bit since my great-grandfather and my great-grand-uncle built Oaklawn in 1904, specifically how the importance of change is truly the core to our success," Cella told the club, which met at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hot Springs. "I spoke of how in the '90s that things were not looking very bright for us, and if we did not change, we were going to be in a bit of trouble as you could see nationally in other race tracks. So we did just that."
Cella said Oaklawn started simulcast racing in the 1990s, which later spread to other tracks across the country.
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"We were able to simulcast races from Illinois into Arkansas," he said, noting even Kentucky, the top thoroughbred racing state in the country, benefited from it.
"Today that represents over 90% of the North American handle in the United States, and it started right here in Hot Springs. In 2000, we started instant racing, a pari-mutuel electronic game that you could wager on historical or previously run races. Though Oaklawn has moved on from this product, it has actually saved racing, not only here in Arkansas, but in Wyoming, in Oregon, in Virginia," he said.
Other trends started at Oaklawn include a $5 million bonus for winners of the Arkansas Derby and Kentucky Derby, introducing electronic games of skill, and the $100 million expansion to include a larger gaming floor and hotel, Cella said.
"We did what we have always done for the past 118 years: We control what we can control, we work with what we cannot, and we are always flexible," he said.
There have been several developments at the facility since the end of the last racing season in May, Cella said. The racing offices were moved to the grandstand, the state licensing office was moved to the old reserved seat office, and the press box was also entirely renovated.
Oaklawn also developed a new mobile sports app and website that will allow fans to keep track of sports scores and bet on games from all over the state.
"Even if you do not wager on sports, it is a great site to enjoy, listing all the games and all the lines in real time," he said. "But if you do enjoy sports betting, no longer must you physically be at the track betting on the Hogs or your other favorite teams. You can be at your home, or you can be traveling anywhere within the state."
It will be another banner year for horse racing, as well, Cella noted.
"We have created another season for the record books, offering nearly $50 million, which equates to giving out almost $750,000 every single day," he said.
"Once again we'll be the highest per structure in the United States during the time of year we run. With such a purse structure in place, we will be offering the best horse racing in the nation, as the best horses and racing connections always follow the money, especially when our allowance races start at $100,000 and our maiden special weights at $90,000."
Cella touted the track's partnering with horsemen to reach the record purses and bring top trainers and jockeys each year.
"There's a reason our trainers and jockeys descend upon Hot Springs -- because they become superstars," he said. "Our fans know who they are, and there are very few venues in the nation that can equal that."
Cella said Oaklawn has to continue to innovate and grow to thrive.
"We are constantly trying to innovate," he said. "We have to evolve, and we have from old school to new school, offering our patrons what they want, not what is convenient for us to implement. And finally, we're a team; Oaklawn and the community, as I've said many times, if Oaklawn succeeds, so does Hot Springs."
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort President Louis Cella speaks during the Hot Springs National Park Rotary Club meeting at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hot Springs Wednesday. - Photo by Lance Porter of The Sentinel-Record