On July 13, it was reported that the Kansas Racing and Gaming Fee voted unanimously to award the state’s solely license to Phil Ruffin’s group to formally open the historic horse racing on line casino, known as Golden Circle, at Wichita Greyhound Park, giving the Wichita-born-and-raised on line casino mogul an opportunity to open a on line casino straight the place Wichita Greyhound Park as soon as stood, which formally closed in 2007. As well as, with this license, the proposed on line casino is allowed to function 1,000 historic horse racing (HHR) machines.
Reopening the door:
In 2022, the Kansas Legislature handed laws to legalize sports activities wagering, which modified issues for the proposed on line casino. This invoice, now legislation, additionally permitted the state gaming fee to grant one license to function 1,000 HHR machines in Sedgwick County, which additional led to a few teams submitting bids, with Treadwell’s group giving up earlier than the three-day course of listening to that ended on July 13. As for a group different than Ruffin’s, led by Wichita developer George Laham and Boyd Gaming Inc. it was disqualified from the license race throughout the first day of hearings after the KRGC enacted a coverage barring any entity to function the HHR playing and gaming facility in the identical gaming zone. And disqualification is logical as a result of Boyd Gaming is the proprietor of the Kansas Star On line casino in Mulvane.
Furthemore, the Golden Circle on line casino proposal was effectively acquired, because it has acquired letters of assist from Sedgwick County Fee Chairman Pete Meitzner, Kansas Home Speaker and Wichita Republican Dan Hawkins, former Wichita Metropolis Council member Sharon Fearey, Park Metropolis’s metropolis council, former Sedgwick County Sheriff Mike Hill and Paul Treadwell, who wished a license so as to add machines at Wichita’s Towne West Sq., however lately withdrew from the race with out clarification. On that be aware, Kansas Racing and Gaming Fee Chairman David Moses, commented the board’s unanimous vote to validate the license, saying: “With the displays, with the data they supplied throughout the software course of in addition to throughout these three days of hearings overwhelmingly satisfied us that they had the wherewithal, economics, the flexibility and the imaginative and prescient to achieve success with a HHR on line casino.”
Wichita Greyhound Park renovation plans:
In response to Ruffin’s plan, he’ll make investments $128 million in redeveloping the park to change into a three-story on line casino. The refurbishment will contain, along with leisure and lodge possibility, the newest, big nation music bar Gilley’s Dance Corridor and Saloon, developed after the favored Texas honky-tonk membership included within the hit movie “City Cowboy,” with John Travolta as the primary actor. It’s projected that the renovations might be finished and the on line casino will formally open in 14 months.
On this regard, Phil Ruffin Jr., a Wichita resident who might be named Golden Circle’s common supervisor when it formally opens, stated: “It’s an iconic constructing. It’s been there since 1989. There’s a number of house in there. There’s quite a bit to do. We’re going to have eating places and pizza by the slice and smoothies and all types of nice meals from our government chef in Las Vegas, who’s going to return down and practice our employees. We’re a protracted methods away. We’re about 14 months till open. And I wish to be forward of schedule and underneath finances. It’s a protracted row to hoe, and we’re actually trying ahead to it.” Moreover, commenting on the license award, he stated: “We’re ecstatic with the information. We’ve been working to attempt to renovate and reopen Wichita Greyhound Park.” However when requested to touch upon the years his household spent preventing for the on line casino, he emotionally stated: “Jimmy Valvano stated, ‘Don’t ever surrender‘. By no means surrender. We by no means gave up. We acquired it finished.” Ruffin Holding consultant Jason Watkins, added: “Loads of effort by Mr. (Phil) Runn through the years to get that park again open ins some capability. So, right now is simply an enormous day for the group and particularly for Mr. Ruffin.”
The brand new on line casino will even create new employment alternatives, with Ruffin Corporations saying: “The challenge would create about 300 building jobs and almost one other 300 everlasting jobs on the facility. The on line casino would include three flooring of leisure, wagering on horse racing by way of simulcast from premier tracks, a nightclub and a lodge with greater than 100 rooms.” Additionally, when requested to touch upon the elevating of issues and the questions of whether or not greyhound racing will return to the upcoming on line casino, Ruffin Jr. stated: “Golden Circle doesn’t plan to deliver again greyhound racing.”
As quickly because the proposed on line casino opens, Ruffin even have yet one more plan in thoughts, which is to assemble a 110-bed lodge.
Residents are in opposition to HHR machines:
Nonetheless, the on line casino will embody the 1,000 HHR machines as talked about above, that are arrange so gamers could replay or watch the result of the races they’ve positioned a guess on, in the event that they resolve, that had been refused by Sedgwick County voters a a number of months earlier than Ruffin made the choice to shut the greyhound park. Moreover, this machines randomly selected races from a database containing 1000’s of races.
Moreover, throughout August 2007, the voting was taken between Sedgwick County residents to resolve whether or not digital gaming machines can be allowed on the former greyhound park, leading to a rejection by just below 250 votes. Moreover, there was a separate vote to allow a on line casino in Sedgwick County, which was additionally rejected by a 56% of voters. Nonetheless, a 2014 legislation blocked voters from taking over the difficulty once more till 2032. On this regard, Park Metropolis Mayor John Lehnherr talked about how his group will really feel the impact of the upcoming new on line casino, saying: “We’ve got the interstate that comes by means of with 4 exits and that’s lots of people from different areas stopping to spend a few of their cash. And we want to have as a lot alternative for them to cease and depart their cash right here.”
