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Agriculture & Poultry / Banking & Finance / Business Services

Top Stories of 2024Lock Icon

Interest rates, the top business story of 2023, moderated in 2024, but insurance costs continued to skyrocket, sending last year’s No. 3 story to the top of this year’s annual list. read more >
Industry / Media & Marketing

Arkansas Problem Gambling Council Seeks Increased Funding as Calls for Help Surge

This year, the number of calls to the nonprofit hotline, 1-800-Gambler, is expected to be up 5% from last year’s total of about 7,000 calls, said Vena Schexnayder, founder of the organization. The nearly 7,000 calls the APGC received in 2023 was an increase of 22% from 2022. read more >
Banking & Finance / Business Services / Construction

Saracen Raises Ante: $230M Event Center & Hotel Heads for 2025 DebutLock Icon

Work began in October on the 440,000-SF expansion that will more than triple the size of the casino complex in Pine Bluff. read more >
Oaklawn serves up some of the biggest purses in the business, including a hefty $8.25 million stakes schedule.

Oaklawn Wants to Hold Races in December

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort of Hot Springs wants to add December live racing dates to its calendar and host a 66-day season, from Dec. 3, 2021-May 8, 2022. read more >
Oaklawn General Manager Wayne Smith says sports betting will be an amenity at his racetrack, “but if we didn’t have it, we would have operated Oaklawn without it.”
Restaurants & Food / Tourism

Oaklawn to Reopen Casino Monday Morning

Oaklawn announced Wednesday that it plans to reopen its casino at 9 a.m. Monday. read more >
Oaklawn opened its newly remodeled Race & Sports Book in the north end of the casino on Monday.

Oaklawn Becomes First to Offer Sports Wagering

Oaklawn became the first place in Arkansas to offer sports wagering Monday, when it opened ts newly remodeled Race & Sports Book in the north end of the casino. read more >
Tourism

Arkansas Derby, Rebel Stakes Days Boosts Amount Wagered at Oaklawn

Record-setting Arkansas Derby and Rebel Stakes days contributed to an 11 percent increase in how much money was wagered during Oaklawn's 2018 live season. read more >
Vic Stauffer
Tourism

Oaklawn Names Vic Stauffer Its New Track Announcer

Vic Stauffer, who has called more than 40,000 races at nearly a dozen tracks across the country, was announced Wednesday as Oaklawn's newest track announcer, beginning with the start of the 2017 season. read more >
Tourism

Oaklawn Park Increasing Purses for 2017 Racing Season

Oaklawn Park is increasing the purses for its handicap division races next year. The purse for the Razorback Handicap will increase from $350,000 to $500,000. read more >
Bruce Jones
Tourism

Oaklawn Promotes Bruce Jones to Gaming Director

Oaklawn Racing & Gaming of Hot Springs said Bruce Jones, an employee since 2008, has been promoted to gaming director and will oversee the day-to-day operation of the entire gaming area. read more >
Wayne Smith
Tourism

Oaklawn Names Wayne Smith to Management Position

Oaklawn President Charles Cella announced today the addition of Wayne Smith as assistant general manager, a position designed to better the gaming and racing facility for the future read more >
Brad Keller
Tourism

Oaklawn Names Brad Keller Controller

Brad Keller of San Jose, California, has been named controller for Oaklawn Racing & Gaming. read more >
Michael Pakko
Business Services / Education / Health Care

Tourism Strong in Hot Springs; Arkansas Economy Continues to Recover

Although Arkansas' economic recovery has lagged the rest of country since the recession, growth here has increased over the last couple of years. read more >
Pete Aiello
Tourism

Oaklawn Hires New Announcer Pete Aiello

Oaklawn has hired Pete Aiello to become the fifth announcer in the history of the track; Aiello will be in the booth when Oaklawn opens for live racing on January 15. read more >
Ray Lunsford
Tourism

Oaklawn Names New Assistant Gaming Manager

Ray Lunsford, a 23-year veteran of the gaming industry, has joined the Oaklawn Team as assistant gaming manager. read more >
Natali Nimmo
Tourism

Nimmo Returns to Oaklawn as Manager

Natali Nimmo has returned to Oaklawn as Manager of Training and Guest Services. read more >
Tourism

Oaklawn Adds Rick Alford, Kelli Mussa to Lead Gaming, HR

Oaklawn Racing and Gaming of Hot Springs has named Rick Alford its gaming manager and Kelli Mussa its director of human resources. read more >
Mitch Bettis
Agriculture & Poultry / Business Services / Construction

The Glass Is Half Full (Mitch Bettis Publisher’s Note)

Arkansans and Americans in general seem to be feeling blue these days. Maybe a deluge of negative political advertising bludgeoned us into sadness. Perhaps I’m a “glass half-full” guy because I keep noticing that, nationally and within Arkansas, there are positive economic indicators. read more >
Media & Marketing / Tourism

Oaklawn Opens 2013 Season Today

The Hot Springs thoroughbred racing track opened for the first time 108 years ago. On the card Friday is the Fifth Season, a mile-and-a-16th race for 4-year-olds and up. read more >