Starting today in Wyandotte County, Kansas, The Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board will be choosing managers for four state owned casinos. Applicants will be attending public hearings on Wednesday and Thursday to apply for the job, and the public will attend the hearing on Friday.

Last year a gambling law was passed that would allow one casino in four counties of Kansas. Cherokee, Ford, Sumner and Wyandotte counties would each have a developer build one casino and manage it under contract for fifteen years. All developers must invest a minimum of $225 million in each casino except in Ford County where the amount is lower, at $50 million. The state is expected to earn $200 million a year from the four casinos revenue.

Matt All, the Board Chairman, has stated that though the hearings take time, it gives the citizens, officials and applicants a chance to explain their views. All also stated: "It gives us more texture and details to our understanding of the proposals. It is one thing to read it on paper and another to hear it from the people involved. We need both."

The Board is also looking at other revenues that can come from the casinos. Restaurants, bars and convention centers are another option as well that would bring in extra revenue to the state.

Wyandotte County has four applicants: Golden Heartland Casino, Kansas Entertainment, Legends Sun and Pinnacle Kansas. Ford County has two applicants in: Butler National Service Corp, and Dodge City Casino Resort. Sumner County has Harrah’s Entertainment and Penn National Gaming Inc, while Cherokee county only has Penn National Gaming Inc, interested. If Penn does not receive the Sumner County contract then they most likely will pull out of Cherokee County. Once accepted, the applicants must pass a background check before they can go any further.


- 2008-08-13