The Kansas House Appropriations Committee recently voted 13-8 against forwarding to the House floor a bill that would have allowed residents of Sedgwick County to gather at least 5,000 signatures for a re-vote on allowing slot machines at the Wichita Greyhound Park. Phil Ruffin owns the track and closed it in 2007 after voters rejected slots in the county. Earlier this year the House Federal and State Affairs Committee voted to approve the bill.
Supporters said the legislation would revive the racing industry in south-central Kansas and other parts of the state. However, the bill ultimately failed due to opponents’ concerns over lawsuits by existing casinos. State Rep. Brenda Landwehr said, “We don’t know what impact this will have on us as a state, and I think that it is not doing due diligence for us to rapidly rush this out.”
Some lawmakers, however, argued the risk to the state was minimal. State Rep. Sean Tarwater said, “There is no risk, there is no downside.”
But last year an Attorney General’s opinion in a similar bill stated a vote on slots would breach the Kansas Lottery’s contract with Kansas Star Casino. That facility paid a privilege fee to be the sole gaming venue in the south-central Kansas gaming zone, which includes Sedgwick and Sumner counties. Three casinos in the states three other gaming zones also paid privilege fees. If this year’s bill is found to violate a provision of previous law, the state would be required to pay back $61 million in privilege fees plus $60 million in interest to the casinos plus interest.
In addition, a budget analysis of the this year’s bill also said a revote to allow Wichita Greyhound Park to reopen with slots could be considered an illegal expansion of gaming.
Following the vote, Appropriations Committee chairman, state Rep. Troy Waymaster, urged both sides find a way for the state to avoid the risk of litigation from casinos. “After many years of basically hearing the same story, I implore those on both sides to work together and put together a compromise,” Waymaster said.
