Kansas Casino, Wichita

[MikeA]

Well, I'm disappointed.  The casino around Wichita, Kansas was up for bid and it was between two locations...Mulvane (about 15 miles south of Wichita) and Wellington (30 miles south of Wichita).I'm disappointed because it was announced last week or the week before that Harrah's had been chosen to build in the Mulvane location.  The location is good and the property would probably be better than the Binions bid down in Wellington, but I just didn't want a Harrah's forced down our throats!It is official, however, there is a lawsuit pending against Harrah's with the Potawatimi Indian tribe.  Harrah's managed the tribe's Prairie Band Casino located 15 miles north of Topeka.  When the contract between the tribe and Harrah's was not renewed this year, part of the agreement between the two parties was that there was a "no competition" clause.  Obviously, a Harrah's property in or close to Wichita would be BIG competition with the Tribe's casino as Prairie Band draws thousands from the Wichita area every weekend if not daily!Harrah's went with the bid in Mulvane because before the casino is completed, their "no competition" contract with the Potawatimi Tribe will have expired <sigh>.The Wellington property would have been better in my opinion because first, it would NOT have been Harrah's!  Secondly, the people in Wellington were hungry for the casino and overwhelmingly embrassed the proposition.  There was a LOT of opposition by the population of Mulvane to constructing a casion in their city!  It was bitterly contested!

[ginxxxx]

Wow.  Who were the deciders?  (Like that word). Was it something you voted for or against?  How far from Wichita will it be?  Oops, you said about 15 miles, didn't you.Do you think it will have a basement with six packs?  I worry about that.

[MikeA]

Wow.  Who were the deciders?  (Like that word). Was it something you voted for or against?  How far from Wichita will it be?  Oops, you said about 15 miles, didn't you.Do you think it will have a basement with six packs?  I worry about that.
Well, there was a State vote to allow a limited number of State Lottery Commission Governed casinos but they were not at liberty to just choose where they would be located.  There were certain counties pinpointed by the Commission I think and then those counties had to vote to allow casinos in their county.Segwick County is where Wichita is located.  The "moral majority" outnumbered us sinners and they voted NOT to allow a casino in that county.  So, the Commission in anticipation of this, had picked the county just south of Segwick County (Sumpner I think).  That is where both Mulvane (15 miles) and Wellington (30 miles) are located.Sumner voted to ALLOW casinos so it became a bidding war between the two locations and 4 major casino management groups including Binions and Harrah's.  MGM/Mirrage was in the running but decided to pull out their proposal.  I can't remember the name of the other but I think they are the ones who operate Isle of Capri.Anyway, it came down to Mulvane/Harrahs and Wellington/Binions.  Of the two properties, Harrah's was offering more in terms of the hotel accomodations and restaurants (Paula Dean will have a restaurant there) and a lot of other "stuff" including a golf course.I'm not sure what Binions was offering, but it wasn't the investment that Harrah's was putting out there.  I guess that the Lottery Commission had a pretty hot debate about the two locations and finally settled on Mulvane.You can BET there will be picket lines of bible toting protestors linning the entrance to the casion for the first several months it is opened.  Unless you lived here, you wouldn't recall all the organized protests about the Abortion Clinics.  It got really nasty for a long long time!  I expect no different from the Segwick County churches when it comes to Casinos.  As for me...I'm hoping that it will all settle down over the next six years because I am thinking about retiring from my profession about then and getting a job part time as a blackjack dealer

[ginxxxx]

[QUOTE=ginxxxx]
Wow.  Who were the deciders?  (Like that word). Was it something you voted for or against?  How far from Wichita will it be?  Oops, you said about 15 miles, didn't you.Do you think it will have a basement with six packs?  I worry about that.
Well, there was a State vote to allow a limited number of State Lottery Commission Governed casinos but they were not at liberty to just choose where they would be located.  There were certain counties pinpointed by the Commission I think and then those counties had to vote to allow casinos in their county.Segwick County is where Wichita is located.  The "moral majority" outnumbered us sinners and they voted NOT to allow a casino in that county.  So, the Commission in anticipation of this, had picked the county just south of Segwick County (Sumpner I think).  That is where both Mulvane (15 miles) and Wellington (30 miles) are located.Sumner voted to ALLOW casinos so it became a bidding war between the two locations and 4 major casino management groups including Binions and Harrah's.  MGM/Mirrage was in the running but decided to pull out their proposal.  I can't remember the name of the other but I think they are the ones who operate Isle of Capri.Anyway, it came down to Mulvane/Harrahs and Wellington/Binions.  Of the two properties, Harrah's was offering more in terms of the hotel accomodations and restaurants (Paula Dean will have a restaurant there) and a lot of other "stuff" including a golf course.I'm not sure what Binions was offering, but it wasn't the investment that Harrah's was putting out there.  I guess that the Lottery Commission had a pretty hot debate about the two locations and finally settled on Mulvane.You can BET there will be picket lines of bible toting protestors linning the entrance to the casion for the first several months it is opened.  Unless you lived here, you wouldn't recall all the organized protests about the Abortion Clinics.  It got really nasty for a long long time!  I expect no different from the Segwick County churches when it comes to Casinos.  As for me...I'm hoping that it will all settle down over the next six years because I am thinking about retiring from my profession about then and getting a job part time as a blackjack dealer [/QUOTE] Bet you are right, and they will bus them in!

[MikeA]

New development! The casino that was supposed to go in to a little town about 15 miles south of Wichita on the Kansas Turnpike (I-35) has hit a glitch.

HARRAH'S pulled out of the deal!!!!!!!!!

It's all up in the air again now! This just happened yesterday and I have no details on it.

http://www.ksn.com/news/local/34605254.html

Maybe a better article to explain the "feelings". There was a huge contest between the two cities of Mulvane and Wellington.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/new ... s/2031323/