The April 1 deadline for casino proposals will be here in little over a week, but those close to the issue say its still uncertain whether more proposals will come in and at which location.
The Kansas Gaming and Lottery Commission says, the process will close for both the South Central and Northeast Gaming Zones on April 1st.
So far, plans have only been announced for two applications to the city of Mulvane for a casino resort in Sumner County.
Nancy Seitz of Equity Ventures announced a Topeka-based development company will be submitting an application for a site west of the Arkansas River bridge, located on the southeast corner of K-53 and Belle Plaine Road, in addition to the previously proposed Exit 33 location.
The proposals have not yet gone to the lottery commission.
Sumner County Economic Development Director Janis Hellard says most developers are keeping a close hand on their decisions. Unlike the last time proposals went through, developers are keeping details to themselves, Hellard said.
“Nobody really knows for sure on any of it,” Hellard said. “We hear two different things on whether there’s anybody for Wellington or not, we hear two different things on how many there are at the Mulvane location, so it’s really hard to know what the real truth is.”
Hellard says she has heard developers were checking on Sumner County as late as last week, but hasn’t heard anything on her end. Even the Mulvane bids are questionable.
“Even that can’t be verified that there is a gaming partner with her,” Hellard said of Seitz.
Developers who had proposals before like Penn National Gaming and Marvel Gaming could enter contracts after tweaking proposals from the first time around, Hellard said.
“They could turn it in last minute...it’s pretty hard to know what’s taking place,” she said.
Hellard says developers are keeping details to themselves so potential competition doesn’t “one-up” them.
“They don’t want their competitors to know they are in the loop because if he knows I’m in, he’ll think, ‘Well, what can I do to top so and so’ and so I think it’s that kind of competition,” she said.
Rep. Vince Wetta (D- Wellington) says not knowing makes it hard.
“We’ll know a lot by the end of the week about where we are going to be,” he said.
Wetta says he’s personally spoken with developers for both the Wellington and Mulvane locations.
“I’ve talked to both of them and I can’t say what’s going to happen but we’ll probably know by the end of the week...and definitely by next Tuesday,” he said.
After more than two years of ups and downs in casino development in Sumner County, Wetta says he’s learned to ride the tide.
“I’ve learned to not get to high or too low so I’m just continuing to do what I do in the legislature,” he said.
Hellard says residents should be pulling for developers, even if it’s not at their favorite location.
“I think everyone is still going to have their favorite site, but in practicality I think we all want a casino wherever it ends up because all of us will still benefit from getting a casino...we are still going to have jobs generated, we’re still going to have the property tax,” she said.
Wellington, Kan. —
