The Commission had already given their approval to a developer several years ago, but after the economic recession hit, the developer, along with two others in the state, pulled out of the deal. It has taken the state a long time to go through the process again of choosing new developers.
Peninsula Gaming has won all previous approvals for their casino plan in Sumner County. Officials from the company will meet with the Commission in a couple of weeks, and if they are satisfied, the Commission will then vote to allow Peninsula to start building the $260 million facility.
The state, as is the case for all four voter-approved casinos in Kansas, will own the casino. The Commission will be responsible for regulating the casino, and the state will receive over twenty percent of the revenue generated. Peninsula will build the casino near the Kansas Turnpike, near Mulvane. The facility will be just twenty minutes south of Wichita.
The casino gaming industry was intended to be a major revenue producer for Kansas after voters approved the four casino plan. At first, the Kansas Lottery had trouble with the application process, and after they worked out the kinks, the developers started to pull out one by one. Dodge City is currently the only of the four regions to have an operational casino.
Kansas joins some other surprising states that have legalized casino gambling. Ohio residents had long been against casinos, but a plan was finally passed with voters having a change of heart. The promise of new jobs and revenue at a time of economic crisis has many lawmakers and residents changing their minds on the gaming industry.
December 28, 2010
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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