Firms Express Interest in Bringing Video Poker to Arkansas

WMS Gaming of Waukegan Ill. is hoping to bring video poker to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs and Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis. This was after local voters approved additional gambling at the race-tracks last year. The voters have approved initiatives that will allow electronic games of skill at the tracks. The Racing Commission maintains jurisdiction as to which games are legal. Video poker has not been categorized.

The issue of expanded gambling, specifically centered on video poker, has been widely debated since the issue was brought about in the Arkansas Legislature in 2005.

The firm will be asking Arkansas Racing Commission for permission to put the company's video poker games, manufactured under brand names including "3-Way Action Poker" and "World Series of Poker" at the tracks, according to Bill Bartholomay of WMS Gaming.

"We will hopefully place games as soon as the two facilities are ready to start ordering. Any new market is an exciting market, " he said.

However, the legality of the matter does not automatically make race-track operators keen on the idea. Eric Jackson, Oaklawn's general manager, is at present still undecided if he wanted the video poker at the thoroughbred park.

"I think it's premature for anybody to talk about specific games before the state gets further along in the process of making rules and regulations, " he said.

Southland Dog Track president Barry Baldwin could not confirm nor deny whether video poker is on its way. "Video poker is an electronic game of skill, " he said. "Any game first has to be approved by the commission. And we're not quite to that stage yet. We're getting closer."

Gaming Laboratories International, a consulting company hired by the commission, has drafted regulations and game machine manufacturers have spoken out on the proposal on Thursday June 29.

Commission attorney Byron L. Freeland said that the video poker games would be set to pay out 83 percent, meaning that collectively, the players would lose 17 percent of the money that they put in.

Another company has expressed interest in bringing video poker to Arkansas. IGT, a Reno, Nev.-based games manufacturer sent representatives to the Thursday meeting. A representative from the company said that they will be waiting for the commission to set standards. Video poker is one of the company's offerings.

The approval of the expanded gambling however has not been received with open arms by all. The Family Council Action Committee has likened playing video poker to casino gambling and said it is addictive. The Family Council Action Committee says "social costs" will cancel out the benefits.

"We knew from the beginning that video poker was likely to be a game that was in their sights, " spokesman John Thomas said. "It doesn't surprise us that there would be a company that makes video poker who wants to submit that. And like we have said all along, that is a casino game."

Jackson doesn't agree. "I think it's an outrageous assessment, " he said. "You can get on your computer tonight and play all the video poker you want."

July 24, 2006
Brian Nelson