The Wyandotte Tribe recently opened its Crosswinds Casino in a trailer near 77th North and Interstate 135 in Park City, Sedgwick County, Kansas. The tribe is allowed to operate Class 2 gaming, such as electronic bingo machines. Tribal officials said a much larger, permanent facility with slots and card games will be built in early 2021.
But that remains to be seen as the tribe still runs the risk of further legal challenges from the state of Kansas, which has sued to stop the development of a tribal casino in Sedgwick County. In fact, as recently as early August, the state asked a federal court to set aside a decision that allows the Wyandotte Nation to build and operate a casino in Park City. The lawsuit is part of the decades-long dispute over the tribe’s legal authority to build a casino on the land, which it purchased 30 years ago. At issue is whether, in this case, federal law overrides Kansas’ ban on certain types of gaming.
General Manager Kevin Lein said the tribe believes it has approval to move forward. “I think Park City is a beautiful place to be and I think there’s a lot going on around Park City so we’re happy to be a part of it and the Nation will be a very good neighbor to the community. Starting in January, we’ll employ 150 people, and then once we move into the bigger property, there will be a lot more because of the hotel,” he said.
Hundreds of jobs for the next phase of construction will be posted sometime next month, Lein said. Phase three is expected to be completed within two years.
