Regulation

Quapaw Tribe faces competition from Kansas commercial casino

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

The Downstream Casino Resort. Photo from Facebook

The Quapaw Tribe will be facing competition from a new commercial casino in Kansas but it won't be as close as anticipated.

The Kansas Lottery Gaming Facilities Review Board chose the $70 million Kansas Crossing Casino to receive the license for the southeast part of the state. The project was among three competitors and was the smallest of the trio.

To be located in Pittsburg, the Kansas Crossing Casino will be about 30 miles south of the Downstream Casino Resort. But it's not as close as another bidder that was passed over for the license -- the Castle Rock Casino would have been less than a mile away from the tribe's facility.

Also passed over was the Camptown Casino. The tribe was a part of the project but withdrew after being sued by the state of Kansas.

Downstream is located in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Gaming only occurs on the Oklahoma portion, which is in trust.

The Kansas portion is also in trust and currently houses a parking lot. The tribe plans to expand the casino onto the land, a move that prompted the lawsuit.

Get the Story:
State board recommends Kansas Crossing for SE Kansas casino (The Wichita Eagle 6/24)
State board recommends Kansas Crossing Casino in Pittsburg by 5-2 vote (The Joplin Globe 6/24)
Kansas board picks least costly proposal for new casino (AP 6/23)

Relevant Documents:
NIGC Indian Land Opinion (November 2014)