Due to a lack of demand for overnight gaming play, Kansas Crossing Casino in Pittsburg, Kansas, which opened less than six months ago, announced it would lay off 10 workers and table games will shut down from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays; slots will continue to be available overnight. Even with the layoffs, the casino employs nearly 400 people, said General Manager Doug Fisher. The casino will be open 24/7 on weekends.
Kansas Crossing was expected to generate revenue of $3 million a month, but it generated $2.4 million in May, $2.1 million in June and $2.3 million in July. Fisher said table game revenues declined from $310,877 in May, $289,599 in June and $173,048 in July.
Kansas Lottery Director of Gaming Facilities Keith Kocher said, “They have been pedaling as fast as they can to get the business in the door. Their marketing has done very well, in my opinion.” He noted casinos typically experience a decrease in revenue during the summer and said Kansas Crossing has plenty of time to gain a steady customer base and increased revenue. “It should not have reached its plateau yet. It may be as much as a year, I would say, before it does,” Kocher stated.
Crawford County Commission Chairman Carl Wood said he believes casino revenue will rise once it finds its niche. The county does not depend on the revenue and “anything is better than nothing,” he said. The state of Kansas receives slightly more than 20 percent of the casino’s revenue. Most of the funds go to the city’s reserves.
Kocher said the Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City also cut back table games evening hours. “In the metropolitan areas, such as Mulvane with Wichita and of course Kansas City, there’s a lot more shift work and people coming in at all hours of the day and night,” says Kocher.
