Big Surprise, Kansas Delays Casino Decision Again

The best minds in Hollywood could not come up with a script with more twists and turns than the one that the state of Kansas has created with their casino fiasco. On Thursday, the Kansas Lottery Commission asked for yet another postponement before making a decision on who will receive casino contracts.

The state of Kansas has changed their laws to include casinos in four different counties almost three years ago. As it stands today, one casino is in the process of being built, and the other three counties are still up in the air.

"What Kansas has done is set a model for everything a state should not do when expanding casino gambling," said observer Tim Best, "they have messed this up so many times that it is to the point of unbelievable."

The latest call for postponement from the Lottery Commission was to give more time for contracts to be negotiated. The Commission was supposed to vote on Thursday for two contracts in two counties, before sending their recommendation to the review board for a final decision.

"We're hoping to have things worked out in two weeks, but I'm not promising that," said Ed Van Petten, Executive Director of the Lottery, "There are totally different issues in the two zones."

That lack of a promise is exactly what has some people starting to believe that casinos in their counties will never become a reality. Frustrated citizens are now starting to get to their wits end.

"If they couldn't get a deal finalized in over two years, what makes any of us believe that another two weeks is going to help," said Barry Greesly, "they might as well just stop trying, all they keep doing is teasing us."

June 26, 2009
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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