3 Developers Gunning for Kansas Casino Development Amid Fears of History Repeating | IXGAMES

Kansas is one state where gaming and casino presence has been legalized.  This goes back three years ago, when in 2007, the state’s lawmakers passed a law allowing for four casinos to be owned by the state.  But despite the law being three years old already, the state’s Lottery Commission still have to fix one issue: making sure potential developers stick to their applications and not back out once they are approved. Sumner County is the focal point of the issue, as applications to operate the casino there reached its deadline just recently.  Three applications were able to beat the deadline. Learning from the past The state is treading the application process ever so slowly, after the debacle in 2007, when four developers were initially given the green light to develop their casino plans.  However, three developers backed out, citing economic reasons, particularly the recession which started later that year.  The state is hoping the developers that have submitted their applications will not back out this time, for the continuous development of the gaming industry in the state.  The state is worried that while neighboring states have expanded their share of the industry, Kansas’ has stalled.  Thus, once these plans in Sumner County indeed push through, they will have to face competition from other state’s gaming facilities. Getting to know the candidates One of the developers that withdrew a 2008 application is staging a return.  Harrah’s Entertainment, through Sumner Investment Co., is proposing for a Harrah’s Kansas casino to be located on either two alternate sites, both of which are in Exit 33 near Mulvane. Another developer, Iowa’s Peninsula Gaming Partners, is proposing a Kansas Star Casino, Hotel and Event Center to be located at Exit 33 as well.  Peninsula Gaming is currently operating a casino in Dubuque and Worth County in its home state, as well as casinos and off-track betting facilities in the state of Louisiana. The third developer that beat the deadline is Global Gaming, LLC.  A subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation, an Oklahoma-based company, Global Gaming is currently operating racetracks in Oklahoma and Texas.  Its application is for a facility to be located in Exit 19 near the town of Wellington. Sumner County’s local government will also need to receive a copy of the application by July 29.