After years of court battles, the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma dedicated its new casino in Kansas on Thursday.
The 7th Street Casino is located on trust land in downtown Kansas City. The 20,000-square-foot , two-story facility features 430 electronic Class II machines, a steakhouse and a deli.
The tribe previously opened a casino on the parcel in 2004 but it was shuttered after the state raided the facility. The tribe later won three significant court victories that paved the way for yesterday's reopening.
“We went by all the rules and regulations set up by Washington,” Chief Leaford Bearskin said at the dedication, The Kansas City Star reported. “We went by the law and we came out on top. We’re going to stay on top."
The land was purchased with settlement funds provided by an act of Congress. As such, a federal judge said the tribe was entitled to an exception in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that allows gaming away from existing reservations.
The tribe opened the on trust land in downtown Kansas City. The
Get the Story:Tribal-owned casino opens in downtown KCK (The Kansas City Star 1/11)
Casinos' openings called a return (The Oklahoman 1/11)
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Wyandotte Tribe Opens Downtown Casino (KMBC 1/10)
