Another state joined the growing US sports betting scene as Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas debuted its sportsbook on Monday.
The property’s General Manager Wayne Smith placed the state’s first legal wager to celebrate the start of sports betting. The horse racetrack and casino now accepts wagers at its remodeled Race & Sports Book.
State voters approved in November a constitutional amendment that authorized the addition of casino-style gambling at two of Arkansas’ racetracks and the development of two new casinos Pope and Jefferson Counties. The amendment also allowed for the legalization and regulation of in-person sports betting at the four new casinos.
Aside from Oaklawn, Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis was the other racetrack that was allowed to add casino gambling and sports betting to its offering. Both properties launched their casino floors in early April. It is still unknown when Southland will go live with sports betting.
After Monday’s opening of their sportsbook, Oaklawn guests will be able to place bets on different sports events and leagues, including the NFL, NCAA, the World Cup, and the Olympics.
The start of sports gambling at Oaklawn officially made Arkansas the ninth state to offer legal wagering, following last May’s SCOTUS ruling that lifted a long-standing federal ban on the practice.
Oaklawn’s Sportsbook
It was in mid-June when the Arkansas Racing Commission gave the nod to Oaklawn to start offering sports betting on July 1. As mentioned earlier, bettors are now able to place their wager at the remodeled Race & Sports Book, which is located in the north end of the property’s casino floor.
According to the official website of the racetrack and casino, its sports betting facility offers “teller wagering as well as fast, user-friendly kiosks and is open seven days a week.” Six of the kiosks are located inside the sportsbook, while four other are located just outside of Silks Bar and Grill, which has also added TV screens for sports viewing. There is also one kiosk located in the High Limits area and one more near the entrance, at the top of the escalator.
Oaklawn’s sports betting operation is powered by European betting technology firm SBTech, which has been looking to expand across the US sports gambling space and which is rumored to be in talks to be acquired by sports betting and daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings.
Oaklawn has become the first in Arkansas to offer sports wagering with the opening Monday of its newly remodeled Race & Sports Book in the north end of the casino… https://t.co/46RhHRIwIi pic.twitter.com/FwL1tkFQXF
— Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort (@OaklawnRacing) July 1, 2019
Oaklawn added two craps and six blackjack tables in early April to officially launch its casino floor. Commenting on their plans for the property’s gaming portion, Mr. Smith has said recently that they are going to add a few more blackjack tables this summer.
On Monday, the Oaklawn General Manager told media that they are “excited to now be offering sports wagering” and that their sportsbook introduces a “new level of entertainment for our guests.”
Mr. Smith’s ceremonial first bet saw him place $5 on the Dallas Cowboys to defeat the New York Giants on September 8.
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