Editorial: Wyandotte Nation not connected to Kansas casino site

Monday, September 13, 2010  

"Sumner County voters said they wanted casino gambling, making the withdrawn plans and endless approval process frustrating.

Sedgwick County voters said they didn’t want casino gambling, making the prospect of a tribal casino now beyond frustrating.

Talk about being dealt a bad hand.

The proposed $30 million-$50 million Wyandotte casino would be built on land with no historical connection to the tribe, whose Kansas roots are in Kansas City,Kan. It should not be able to buy up land 270 miles away from its reservation in Ottawa County, Okla., and open an untaxed and largely unregulated casino -- not given the social costs that follow casino gaming’s introduction to a community. Yet the tribe’s plans gained credibility last week with news that it had purchased a commercial lot adjoining the defunct Wild West World. The tribe, which already had purchased 10.5 acres nearby in 1992, hopes to acquire more property along I-135 and break ground later this year.

The legal issues are complex regarding the U.S. Department of Interior’s pending decision about whether to put the tribe’s Park City land in trust for gambling, and then the process of negotiating a gaming compact with the state."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Bad hand: Shared frustration about casinos (The Wichita Eagle 9/12)

Earlier Stories:
Wyandotte Nation adds to land for off-reservation casino in Kansas (9/8)
Wyandotte Nation confident for second out-of-state casino bid (7/2)
Salazar tells BIA to continue work on gaming land applications (6/28)
Kansas governor denies delay for casino by Wyandotte site (4/9)
Reports say casino can compete with Wyandotte Nation (3/31)
Editorial: Wyandotte casino bid bad for the community (3/4)
Wyandotte Nation awaits action on Kansas casino (2/22