Opposition Mounting to Casinos

Opponents to a new bill signed by Governor Kathleen Sebelius that allows state owned casinos in Kansas is creating a lot of flack. Even though it would be years before the casinos could get built, the bill will go into effect this week. The state says that the casinos could bring in more than $200 million a year in revenue, and that they would not have to raise taxes if they are legalized.

Opponents say that none of that matters because they aren’t legal. According to the state’s constitution, state owned lotteries are allowed, but not slot machines and table games. The governor says that they are legal as they would be state owned, and they would be “lottery gaming facilities” not casinos. Opponents say what about the slot machines that the bill allows at the tracks if voters approve them – they say that they are blatantly illegal.

There are currently four tribal casinos in northeastern Kansas, but the state does not receive any revenue from them. Two of the tribes have already said that they are planning on bidding on the casino that would be allowed in Wyandotte County, but another tribe, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, has said that they will likely file suit to block the amendment.

The tribe currently owns the largest casino in Kansas, and they say that the competition that the new casinos would bring in would be unjust and unfair to the tribe. They are concerned because this is their major means of supporting themselves and by bringing in slot machines to the tracks as well as casinos they would be taking money from them.

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