Sumner County Moves Closer To Casino Gambling, Again

Sumner County residents have been waiting for a casino since they approved casino gambling three years ago. In those three years, however, the state has botched several attempts to reach deals with developers.

Now, residents are hoping the third time is a charm. The Sumner County Commission has endorsed Oklahoma based Global Gaming LLC to build and operate a casino on the Kansas Turnpike, at the Wellington exit.

Three proposals came up before the Commission. In addition to the Global Gaming proposal, Harrah's Kansas and Peninsula Gaming Partners also wanted to build casinos in Sumner County. Each of those proposals had flaws, according to commissioners.

The major problem with the other proposals was that they were looking to build their casinos at the Mulvane exit. Commissioner Jim Newell believes that Mulvane has experienced growth without the casino, and that Wellington could use the economical boost more than Mulvane.

The Sumner Commission approval is only one step in the process. Eventually, it will be the Kansas Lottery Commission that makes the final choice as to which developer will win the rights to the casino. No matter who wins, the casino will be owned by the state.

Four state-owned casinos had been approved back in 2007, but only one of the four is currently built and operational. The other three had run into problems with developers bailing during the economic recession. The state has discussed changing the minimum investment requirements to attract developers. This is the third time that Sumner County has had to go through the bidding process.

August 18, 2010
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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