Casinos compete for gambling sites in Kansas

Casinos compete for gambling sites in Kansas Following the Kansas Supreme Court ruling, which will allows four casinos to be built in the state, Harrah's Entertainment and Penn National Gaming pitched their plans for casinos in the Sumner County Thursday and Marvel Gaming Co. following on Friday. The two gambling giants faced the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board in a local school auditorium on Thursday to answer questions by the board. Harrah's Entertainment was drilled why it wants to put a casino near Mulvane, where it will benefit Sedgwick County, which voted against casino gambling last year. Meanwhile Penn National Gaming was questioned why it preferred a Wellington site that the board's economic consultants claim will earn less money than a Mulvane site, some $50 million less, according to the consultants. Harrah's proposed a casino near Exit 33 at the Kansas Turnpike near Mulvane. Penn National wants a gambling site at the southwest corner of Seneca and U.S. 160 near Wellington.

Marvel Gaming Co., which stood in front of the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board on Friday is in direct competition with Penn National Gaming by planning a casino on the same site. Marvel Gaming President Roger Wagner claimed their casino would be paying $19 million more than Harrah's and Penn's in cumulative gaming taxes per year as the major pitch for its proposed Trailhead Casino and Resort. A special site selection committee will decide by late September which of the casinos can proceed.

Published on 07/12/2008