Southland Poker

Southland Park is one of two casinos in Arkansas which is located in West Memphis. It was initially opened in 1956 as a greyhound racing track, making it one of the oldest in the United States. It has set many attendance and wagering records for greyhound racing throughout its history, and the course is still wildly popular today. Though the racetrack is not as prestigious as the thoroughbred course at the Oaklawn Park track in Hot Springs, it does still have its draws.
Like Oaklawn Park, Southland was not able to offer any casino games until 2005 when new legislature was passed enabling electronic machines, though actual renovations were not completed until 2006. After this legislature was passed, the renovation added the large casino floor that is present today which now features a variety of electronic games. Just a few years ago, their gaming offerings were expanded once again to include live table games. Their casino is now host to popular games like blackjack, slots, video poker, three card poker, virtual roulette and more.

Southland Poker Room
Southland Greyhound Park Poker Room
Southland Pokemon
Southland Poker

Casino at Southland Park

In 1936, Binion established a network of private dice games at several Dallas hotels, including the Southland Hotel in downtown Dallas. This came to be known as the Southland Syndicate.
Southland Casino offers over 2,000 slots and plenty of live table games. We are the largest casino floor in the Tunica & Memphis area. Visit our West Memphis location!

MODEL: SFTT160 S-FTT-160-E, S-FTT-160: Rear Tine Tiller. MODEL: SRTT196E S-RTT-196-E.

The casino at Southland Park features over 1,700 electronic games spread out over a 55,000 square foot gaming floor which includes everything from video poker and slot machines to virtual table games. Their offering of games, as well as the gaming floor size are both relatively small when compared to other large casino resorts. The slot machine varieties here are pretty standard as well, and include IGT and Bally machines among others. They also have a fairly sizable video poker parlor with dozens and dozens of machines (though the exact number is not available). Electronic table games include craps and roulette.
One unique feature of the electronic machines at Southland Park is their “RDY2WIN” jackpot game which is present on many machines throughout the gaming floor. This gives you a chance to win one of two jackpots on any spin through marked machines. These machines will be clearly designated throughout the casino and you do not need a player’s card to be eligible. The two available jackpots include the “fast” and “big” jackpots which are approx. $100 and $5,000 respectively. See video below for more info:

Though I have never personally been to Southland Park, when we compared it to other popular casino resorts it does not stack up too great. One of the many draw-backs, among other things, is its small gaming floor and limited table game offering. When you add this to the fact that they do not offer an on-site hotel/resort, it makes other options more attractive. It can, however, be a fun place to visit if you happen to he in the area.

High Limit Room at Southland Park

The High Limit Room at Southland Park is relatively new and includes a variety of popular slot machines. The denominations available on machines within the high limit room are fairly low when compared to other cities like Las Vegas, ranging from $5 to $25. This should be enough to meet your needs, unless you are a big slots player. The high limit room currently has dozens of popular machines like Wheel of Fortune, Top Dollar and Double Diamond among others. It does not have any live card games like blackjack however.

Poker Room at Southland Park

Southland Park does offer a poker room, which features electronic games and is relatively small. They offer both cash games and tournament style games. Tournaments run here just about everyday, and sometimes twice or more per day. The poker room has just 6 tables and is smoke-free which is convenient if you do not smoke. You generally do not need to call ahead to reserve a seat.

Racetrack at Southland Park

The Greyhound Racetrack at Southland is among the largest and most storied within the United States. Opening more than 60 years ago, there is a lot of history here and the track features year-round racing. On the premises, you’ll find over 25 buildings capable of holding upwards of 2,000 greyhounds. This makes it one of the largest such facilities in the world.
Each year, over 6,000 races are held here, meaning that you can watch live races essentially everyday. The racetrack is over 65,000 square feet, which is larger than even the casino. The stadium is capable of holding more than 20,000 people, and simulcast wagering is available as well.

Restaurants and Bars at Southland Park

Southland Park’s dining options are somewhat limited, though they are generally high-quality. All-in-all the casino and racetrack offer one buffet, one cafe and two restaurants. In addition to these options, they also offer several racing concessions at the track. This is somewhat small, especially if you are accustomed to options offered in places like Atlantic City or Las Vegas. Below we have outlined each of the food options here:

– Sammy Hagars Red Rocker Bar & Grill
– Bourbon Street Steakhouse & Grill
– World Market Buffet
– Quinn & Ella’s Cafe

Though they do serve alcohol with little limitations, you’ll notice that there is not many bars here. They do have waiters and waitresses which will serve you while playing. Drinks are generally free, though tipping is pretty standard.

Hotels at Southland Park

Much like the other casinos in Arkansas, Southland Park does not have an on-site hotel. They do have a player’s program however, which can give you discounts on hotel stays in the area among other things. If playing here, you should enroll in the player’s program so that you can receive these discounts if you plan to visit often. Though Southland does not offer a resort or hotel, they do have a few amenities that are not available at other Arkansas casinos. This includes a 400-seat event center and a 150-seat nightclub.

Southland Casino Racing is set to reopen Monday, while its competitors for Memphis-area customers in Mississippi await the go-ahead from state officials.

The West Memphis casino owned by Delaware North said it will follow the measures outlined by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson through its 'Play It Safe' reopening program. Southland closed March 17 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The health and safety of guests and employees is above everything,” David Wolf, president of Southland Casino Racing, said in a statement. “Throughout our temporary closure and during the development of the Play It Safe program, we have been working closely with state and local government officials and public health officers to ensure we are taking appropriate safety precautions.”

Southland said in a news release Wednesday it “will feature a reduced number of slots and no table games, live racing or sports betting” under its reopening program. Casino operating hours will be 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. Friday through Saturday.

Casinos in Arkansas must have a safety plan approved by the secretary of health to reopen, per a directive by the Arkansas Department of Health. Among the requirements each plan must include: a 33% capacity limit, requiring face coverings “for all persons present,” maintaining physical distance during shows and live performances, and screening staff and customers for possible illness or exposure to COVID-19.

“This approach is based on the best available scientific evidence and a consensus of experts at the Arkansas Department of Health,” the directive says.

Southland guests will be required to wear a mask or other face covering, be added to a guest registry as a record of their visit and have their temperatures taken upon entry, according to the casino. Southland will have an on-site “Clean Team” to sanitize the casino’s surfaces.

Social distancing protocols will be in place throughout Southland, and no smoking will be permitted inside the building. Southland will have designated smoking areas outside the building.

With Southland being a premier West Memphis tourist attraction, the city has not been immune to its closure. Southland’s shutdown means fewer tourists staying at hotels or eating at restaurants, along with less tax revenue for the city, said West Memphis Director of Tourism Jim Jackson.

Southland posted $24.5 million in gambling net winnings in February and $4.9 million in tax revenue generated by gaming, according to the Arkansas Racing Commission. In March, that dropped to $14 million and $2.8 million, respectively.

“It’s been detrimental to the local economy, no doubt,” Jackson said.

Mississippi casinos wait for reopening date

South of Memphis, casinos in Tunica, Mississippi, await guidance from the state on when they can reopen.

Mississippi closed all its casinos in mid-March to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Tate Reeves has since said he believes casinos in the state will be open by Memorial Day, the Biloxi Sun Herald reported.

The casino closures have caused gaming revenues to fall sharply month over month. In February, Mississippi casinos saw $175.5 million in adjusted gross gaming revenue, according to the Mississippi Gaming Commission. In March, it was $110.3 million.

For casinos in Tunica County and Coahoma County specifically, adjusted gross gaming revenue dropped from $45.4 million in February to $29.3 million in March.

When asked about the state’s casino reopening plan Monday, Allen Godfrey, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, said he would share that information once it’s available.

Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica said in a statement that once the state lifts its mandatory closure of casinos, “we will circle back with Gold Strike reopening plans.” MGM Resorts, which owns Gold Strike, has laid out a safety plan that includes mandatory masks for employees, 6-foot physical distancing wherever possible and hand-washing stations in high-traffic areas.

The parent company of Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino, also in Tunica, said it’s too early to discuss reopening plans in Mississippi.

'We don't have much preparedness for this'

Larry Gregory, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association, which advocates for the state’s gaming industry, said the path forward for casinos to safely reopen is more complex than how Mississippi casinos approached reopening after Hurricane Katrina and the 2011 Mississippi River floods.

“We had some advanced warnings with the floods and hurricanes, and we prepared,” said Gregory, who led the Mississippi Gaming Commission from 2001 to 2011. “We don’t have much preparedness for this. We’re having to gauge this thing day to day based on not physical damage but gauging it on the health and safety of people.”

The association has sent Reeves and the Mississippi Gaming Commission its own recommended reopening guidelines.

Gregory said it is calling for slot machines to be appropriately distanced from each other and disinfected after each customer use, keeping poker rooms closed and having casino employees wear face masks. The association is not recommending any capacity reductions, he said.

© Mark Weber, The Commercial Appeal Gold Strike Casino employee Robert Leise hands over a sports betting sheet to Bill Beil of Columbia, Tenn., during the grand opening celebration of sports betting in Tunica.

“Basically, we’re looking at slots and table games at this point (to reopen),” Gregory said, adding that the likelihood of table games immediately reopening remains up in the air.

Will 'clear pent-up demand' occur in Arkansas, Mississippi?

Delaware North has closed nearly every one of its 200-plus locations, including Southland, due to the coronavirus. Continued financial losses have forced the company to put more than two-thirds of its 3,100 full-time employees on temporary leave, according to a news release. Those still with Delaware North are taking pay cuts.

“In the early days of the pandemic, Delaware North took immediate emergency actions to stabilize the financial outlook, including restricting business travel and delaying ongoing projects,” Delaware North said. “Now the company, along with many others in the hospitality industry, is absorbing ongoing financial losses as a result of government directives appropriately aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19.”

Barry Jonas, a gaming analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, said of the limited number of casinos that have reopened in the U.S., business was strong.

“In some places, you’ve seen numbers stronger than prior levels,” Jonas said. “That’s interesting, because there are clear social distancing protocols in place which limits the amount of casino supply. … I think there’s a clear pent-up demand for folks stuck in the house looking to get out.”

Southland Poker Room

The question remains how long this trend continues, Jonas said, as older casino-goers remain cautious of leaving their homes and air travel to destination resorts like those in Las Vegas could remain a tougher sell. Regional destinations that are a short car ride away may be seen as less of a commitment for customers, and therefore the safer choice, he said.

Concerns aren’t limited to customers. Casino workers across the country, including in Mississippi, are among those pushing for more stringent measures to protect gaming industry employees before casinos reopen, according to an Associated Press report.

“My son works at a small hotel property. Is he going to bring a virus home to me?” asked Brenda Tucker Cassity, a bakery worker at the Beau Rivage casino in Biloxi, according to the AP. “I have elderly parents. I worry I might be bringing it home to them.”

Southland Greyhound Park Poker Room

Jackson said he’s comfortable that Southland will follow the guidelines Arkansas lays out for them, although he emphasized the seriousness of the coronavirus.

“It’s going to be difficult, and it’s going to be a little scary at the same time, to be responsible for even up to a third of the capacity right now,” he said. “But we’re going to try and get back to life as normally as we can.”

Southland Pokemon

Altering casinos’ gaming layouts for safety purposes can be done, Jonas said. Many casino properties have too many slot machines in the first place, with utilization rates less than 50% at the average casino, according to Jonas.

Near-term casino operations will focus much more on cleanliness and sanitizing, Jonas said, as companies will look to make sure the virus isn’t spread at a casino and damages their reputation.

Gregory doesn’t anticipate high demand in the immediate aftermath of Mississippi casinos reopening, saying customers will have to get comfortable again with the idea of going to large venues like casinos first.

“I think we’re going to see a smarter customer,” he said. “We’re going to have to contend with that.”

Southland Poker

Max Garland covers FedEx, logistics and health care for The Commercial Appeal. Reach him at max.garland@commercialappeal.com or 901-529-2651 and on Twitter @MaxGarlandTypes.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Southland Casino Racing set to reopen May 18 as Tunica competition awaits next steps