Officials at Southland Gaming and Racing in West Memphis, Arkansas recently announced construction will start this summer on a $250 million expansion, which Governor Asa Hutchinson said will be the largest investment in tourism in the state’s history. The new 113,000 square foot casino complex will expand Southland’s slots to 2,400 and table games to 60. Also included will be a larger buffet and steakhouse, plus a new food mall, coffee shop and player lounge.
In addition, a new 20-story hotel tower will feature 300 rooms including 216 standard rooms, 72 corner suites and 12 top-floor penthouse suites. A new parking garage will offer 1,250 covered spaces. The entire project will be completed in 18 months and create 400 permanent jobs, said General Manager David Wolf. He added the project will have an estimated economic impact of $144 million a year.
In November, voters approved four casinos in the state, including expanding gaming facilities at Southland and at Oaklawn Gaming & Racing in Hot Springs, as well as developing new casinos in Jefferson and Pope counties. Following that vote, Southland’s owners announced plans to build a $200 million hotel and conference center, but plans didn’t include a casino at that time.
Wolf noted in 2018 more than 3 million people visited Southland Gaming and Racing. He added the expansion will benefit neighboring communities, including Memphis. “We’ll complement each other so I think it’s a win, win for everybody,” he said.
Greater Memphis Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Beverly Robertson said, “This kind of investment will reimagine what the gaming industry will look like and we are excited for our chamber member. This announcement shows that the Greater Memphis region’s momentum will benefit the economy in Tennessee and Arkansas.”
