Casinos in Arkansas

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There are two Arkansas casinos that serve players, one on each side of the state, east to west, with Little Rock sitting square in middle of the state. For those who can find US Interstate 40, which runs through Little Rock, you will find either casino that gives slots and table games.

Southland Park

Southland Park is found at 1550 North Ingram Blvd. (870 735-3670) in West Memphis Arkansas. The unique facility was inbuilt the late 1950's, but was given an $11 million upgrade in 2012 after a surge of tourists provided an identical surge in income after the Mississippi River Flood the year before shut down gaming in Tunica. Southland Park is situated along Interstate 40 and is a brief drive from Memphis, Tennessee. In addition, the now open casinos of Tunica are not up to 25 minutes away in Mississippi. The casinos of Biloxi, along the coast, are greater than 350 miles away.

The gaming facility doesn't have its own hotel, but there are many choices nearby. For dog-race enthusiasts, the track runs five days a week, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with afternoon and evening racing. Along with the live greyhound racing, the track has simulcast racing of tracks everywhere in the country. Indoor seating is offered for $3 to $5 with a view of the track and tables with their very own race monitors.

Free table seating and theatre-style seating may be for all live greyhound racing. Self-service betting machines are available all areas. There are smoking and non-smoking sections to make a choice from.

Dining choices include Bourbon Street Steakhouse and Grill, two snack bars, the Kennel Club with American fare, and World Market Buffet.

The casino features 631 machines. Although you are going to find your favorite slot and video games, you will not finds the everyday "live" table games. Although the power has 26 table games, they're electronic versions. There are 10 poker tables, each with its own main video screen and a screen for every play to view their chip balance and their very own cards. In addition, Texas Hold'em Tournaments can be found at Southland Park.

There are sixteen other table games, 8 blackjack, and craps, roulette, Let it Ride, and 3-Card Poker. The casino is open 24 hours an afternoon and features a player rewards club.

Oaklawn Park

Oaklawn Park is found at 2705 Central Ave. (501 623-4411) in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It's one-hour from Little Rock via I-30W and US-70W. Oaklawn is certainly one of oldest and most revered racehorse tracks within the country and opened in 1905. Nearby casinos in Oklahoma are slightly lower than 100 miles away.

Hot Springs is healthier known for the natural hot springs that give it its name, and Hot Springs National Park. However, to a few of the US, Hot Springs was a gambling mecca rivaled only by Las Vegas. After the Civil War, town adopted an open gaming stance that allowed dozens of casinos to prosper. Within the 1920's and 1930's, Reno and Chicago casino owners like Bill Graham and Al Capone owned a work of the action.

Although the state of Arkansas had an anti-gambling law, it wasn't enforced in Hot Springs until 1967 when Governor Winthrop Rockefeller dispatched an organization of state troopers to near the Arkansas casinos and burn their gaming equipment. Oaklawn Park and Southland Park have remained because the state's only legal gaming facilities since that time.

The gaming facility doesn't have its own hotel, but there are plenty nearby. There's a $2 entrance fee for live horse racing at Oaklawn, but no fee for simulcast of live horse racing and live greyhound racing. The casino is open at 10 am every day until 3 am Sunday through Thursday, 5 am Friday and Saturday .During racing season there are ten restaurants and snack bars to make a choice from.

The casino has 650 machines. Like Southland Park, all table games also are electronic with dealers who handle the chips. The poker site has just two tables within the casino, but does feature tournament play. There also are six blackjack tables. Slots offered are the usual variety in conjunction with video poker. A player's reward club for cash-back and comps is available.

Read More... [Source: About.com Casino Gambling: What's Hot Now]