After a competition for a lucrative license to operate a Vegas-style casino in the Wichita area, Wichita billionaire and casino mogul Phil Ruffin’s proposal, the Golden Circle casino, was approved June 13 by the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission.
Ruffin’s competition for the license, which included Wichita developer George Laham and Boyd Gaming Inc., was disqualified for including Boyd, due to the fact that the company already operates the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane.
The disqualification came after the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission adopted a new policy proposal that prohibited an individual or entity from holding a license to manage or operate a historical horse racing facility within a gaming zone where the individual or entity is also a lottery gaming facility manager or racetrack gaming facility manager.
Ruffin owns the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino and the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, both in Las Vegas. Still Ruffin’s team had to convince the commission they were worthy of the license.
“Even though there was only one applicant remaining to be considered, we were still mandated by law to ensure for the state of Kansas that the individual that gets that the entity, that gets the license, is the best entity out there,” KRGC chairman David Moses told KSNW. “So, they still had to go through and convince us, which they did overwhelmingly, convinced us that they had the wherewithal, the economics, the ability and the vision to be successful.”
The horse racing facility, which has not been operational since 2007, will see 1,000 gambling machines. Historical horse racing machines resemble slot machines and allow bettors to select horses in previously run races based on their track record. No identifying information about the race is available to bettors before placing their bets on a particular horse, a process that is sometimes randomized, depending on the machine.
In addition, there will be a Gilly’s dancehall, restaurants, bars and a hotel with 110 rooms. Simulcasts of horse races will also be shown and customers can bet on them.
Jason Watkins, a Ruffin Holding representative, said there will be significant renovations.
“You have a large building on almost 80 acres up in Park City,” Watkins told KSNW. “It’s a three-story building. The bones of the building are in great shape, but obviously, it hasn’t been in use for a decade and a half. So this will be a complete remodel. It’s going to be a beautiful state-of-the-art facility.”
It has been a long process for Ruffin to finally get the license for Wichita Greyhound Park. Ruffin, who owns several downtown Wichita properties, has worked for years to open a casino in the Wichita area or expand gambling at the Wichita Greyhound Park.
In August 2007, Sedgwick County voters rejected electronic gaming machines at the greyhound park by less than 250 votes. A separate vote to allow a casino in Sedgwick County failed with 56% of voters saying no. A 2014 law blocked voters from deciding on the issue again until 2032. Last year, the Kansas Legislature passed a bill that reopened the door. A 2022 Kansas law allowing sports betting also allowed the state gaming commission to award one license to operate 1,000 historical horse racing machines in Sedgwick County.
Work on the racetrack is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
