If the Kansas Lottery Commission says it’s okay, Phil Ruffin, owner of Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas, will partner with the Oklahoma-based Quapaw Tribe’s Downstream Casino to open a state-owned, privately managed casino at Ruffin’s Camptown Greyhound Park in Crawford County, Kansas. Opened in 1995, the shuttered racetrack ran live dog races for less than six months before owners filed for bankruptcy.
Last month, in an effort to attract gaming to the state’s Southeast Gaming Zone, a law went into effect lowering the investment required for a prospective Kansas casino developer from $225 million to $50 million. It also decreased the state’s gaming license fee from $25 million to $5.5 million.
Said Ruffin, “I have long admired Quapaw Chairman John Berrey and the tribe for their remarkable success in our region. They know how to get things done. I know how to get things done. This is a strong partnership. We have a great location. We have the know-how and the resources. And most importantly we have our hearts in the right place to make Camptown a great success for Southeast Kansas and its people.”
Berrey added, “This is a very positive force for bringing new jobs and new economic opportunities to the communities of Southeast Kansas. Partnering with Kansas native Mr. Ruffin makes a lot of sense. And we know that Camptown can be a great success for the region, the local community and its citizens. Together we can succeed in an even greater way. We look forward to sharing further details and kicking off this project in the near future.”
Ruffin said the partnership could start work on the site immediately once it received commission approval, since significant infrastructure already is in place. “This will be a full-scale, state-of-the-art casino. I’d say it would be a slightly smaller version of Downstream Casino, with the kind of style and quality the Quapaw Tribe is known for.” Berrey said the casino would offer about 700 slots and around a dozen table games.
The Kansas Lottery Commission is accepting bids from developers until December. “It would be a great Christmas present, especially for Crawford County and Pittsburg/Frontenac. I’m excited. I look forward to developing something that will really make the people of Pittsburg proud,” Berrey said.
