Many party bus companies have their own regulations in place apart from City ordinance
12 July 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Only one applicant remains in the push to bring historical horse racing machines to Sedgwick County.
Boyd Gaming has been disqualified from getting a license because it already operates a nearby casino in Mulvane.
The Kansas Gaming and Racing Commission said it comes down to the original intent of the 2007 law that allowed state-owned casinos in Kansas. That law intended to limit each company to operate one facility in a gaming zone.
A representative from Boyd said they are disappointed “the commission adopted a policy that disqualified Boyd gaming from further consideration.”
“It’s unfortunate that it came up at this stage instead of earlier in the process, absolutely,” said David Moses, Chair of the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission.
With Boyd out of the running, the Commission heard a proposal from Ruffin Holdings, the only applicant left.
Ruffin wants to bring 1,000 historical racing machines to the Park City area.
The proposal would revitalize the old Wichita Greyhound Park facility. The company says it has all the funds needed for the build. The Ruffin team says their proposal has the endorsement of the City Council for Park City and local tourism.
“I want you to note that any letter of recommendation or endorsement that you have received came from people believing there were at least two applicants, if not three,” Scott Beeler with Ruffin.
The Commission says it will make a decision on whether to grant Ruffin the license later this week. It’s not a guarantee. If the Commission approves the proposal, it should be open by the end of 2024 or early 2025.
Keep in mind even though the commission only has one valid applicant, it can still turn down its proposal. At that point, the process could start over. We are expecting the commission’s decision on Thursday.