WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — Construction continues at a fast pace on the $300 million expansion to Southland Casino in West Memphis.
There are plans to open the casino floor with 2,400 machines in April, as well as more table games, six additional restaurants and four bars. A towering 300-room hotel should open in June.
Southland’s top management held a tour Friday of the 113,000-square-foot, red carpeted gaming floor, which is expected to bring in more patrons and continue Southland’s dominance in the local casino market.
“Inclusive of the Tunica market, we have more than a third of the market share here,” said David Wolf, president and general manager of Southland Casino Racing. “Ten years ago we had less than 15%, but we have over a third and our market shares continue to increase as each month goes on.”
The project is four years in the making, from visualizing to drawing up blueprints, with a hold due to COVID-19.
“We were planning on opening it a year earlier but with the pandemic we sort of had to delay that,” Wolf said.
He says Southland is looking to hire an additional 400 to 500 employees, bringing the workforce at the casino close to 1,500.
And there’s no way to miss the new 300-room hotel stretching skyward at the Southland complex. The hotel will feature 80 suites, including presidential suites. A multi-level 1,500-space parking garage is also under construction.
The money spent here will generate welcomed tax dollars for the City of West Memphis.
“I’m very excited. When I first walked in I looked up at the ceiling and I could’ve sworn I was in Las Vegas,” Mayor Marco McClendon said.
McClendon says Southland helped put West Memphis on the map and he plans to keep their relationship a strong one.
“We’re going to do everything we can to work and support Southland, and whatever they need from the city we’ll be ‘open arms’ to make sure we provide those things that are necessary for Southland,” he said.
Jobs at Southland
There are a variety of job opportunities and the casino is hiring now for part-timne and full-time positions.
They will hold weekly job fairs through March 9 and a job fair party March 5.
Go to www.southlandcasino.com for more information.