Kansas tribe's casino is top tourist draw in state

Tuesday, August 31, 2004  

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation's casino in Kansas more than 1.4 million visitors a year, making it the state's No. 2 tourist attraction.

That's a long way from just six years ago, when no one came to the reservation. Unemployment was high and there were few opportunities for jobs.

But now that the casino has opened, the county's unemployment rate has dropped to 6.4 percent. The tribe attracts thousands of people a day to the reservation, either to work or to enjoy the casino.

With 1,050 employees, the casino is Jackson County's biggest employer. The tribal government, with 325 employees, is the second biggest.

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Casino improves fortunes of northeast Kansas tribe (AP 8/31)