Federal Officials Allows Tribal Casino in Wichita, Kansas Might Loss Million In Taxes

Published: 11/06/2020

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Federal gambling regulators approved the plans to construct a tribal on land casino in Wichita. The new casino is a possible competition for casinos in neighboring states of Kansas, Sedgwick County, and the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma.

Resorts and casinos show great potential to boost the growth of a state. Many state leaders considered reopening the casinos as an alternative source of revenue to be used in their recovery from the economic impact of the coronavirus. More and more states included the casinos in the list of necessary businesses to resume operations during the pandemic.

Politicians, tribe leaders, and leading businessmen called for the construction of the casino in the area. They saw it as a vital source of income and entertainment for the people of Wichita. Casinos can provide a vast number of jobs for the tribe and others, and a considerable amount of revenue to the tribe and the state.

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Challenge from Kansas Attorney General

Tribes in Wichita, Phil Ruffin, a casino magnate, and Mayor Bob Knight are among those who urged the federal government to allow the construction of the casino. The group has been pushing the government for decades to open a casino in Park City.

The casinos are proposed to be constructed in the location of the Wild West World, an amusement park that filed for bankruptcy in 2017. It is located south of Kansas Coliseum and the Greyhound Park. The plan gained both approval and criticisms from government institutions and the people.

The Kansas Attorney General is against the construction of a casino and warned that the plan to construct it in Sedgwick County is illegal.

The federal register reversed its decision in 2014 to restrict the tribe from putting up a casino. The regulating body said the Bureau of Indian Affairs awarded more than 10 acres of land in Park City for its construction.

Casino to break ground after two months

Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy Friend revealed that the casino groundbreaking could take place within 60 days. He also said that the approval to allow the casino would pave the way for Class II games that includes bingo and some card games like poker.

The tribe is expected to offer Class II games, including blackjack, roulette, and slot machines, as it operates entirely. The tribe aims to enroll the casino to a federal trust that will remove state and local tax rolls.

Mr. Friend said that the tribe plans to build a Wild West World campus in the Grand Rive LLC-owned 100 acres land area. Emil Bergquist revealed that plans to construct a casino near Park City surfaced 27 years ago.

The Wyandotte Tribe started the plan in 1993, but residents protested and filed a petition against it. The tribe trashed the idea but continued lobbying their lobbying efforts.

In 2004, Wichita Mayos Bob Knight spearheaded the call to put up a casino near the Park City. However, the movement of the proposal was too slow until the last attempt was filed in 2007.