story by Roby Brock, a TCW content partner and owner of Talk Business
roby@talkbusiness.net
The latest statistics released by the Arkansas Racing Commission show that casino-style gambling at Oaklawn and Southland set new all-time monthly records in February.
Both tracks saw nearly 14% increases in electronic games of skill (EGS) wagering in February versus the previous year.
Hot Springs-based Oaklawn posted February 2013 EGS wagers of $92.7 million, a 13.7% increase from February 2012. The figure was the highest one-month EGS total in Oaklawn history.
West Memphis-based Southland totaled $197.4 million in EGS wagers in February 2013, a 13.9% uptick from the previous year. Again, the figure was the highest one-month EGS total in Southland history.
Year-to-date in the first two months of 2013, the two tracks have already eclipsed a half-billion dollars with total EGS wagers topping $518.21 million.
Oaklawn’s two-month total in 2013 passed $172.54 million, up from $146.83 million one year ago. Southland’s two-month total in 2013 surpassed $345.67 million, up from $304.75 million in early 2012.
EGS wagers include gambling spent on video blackjack, poker, slot machines and other casino-style games.