Kansas County Opposes Downstream Casino Expansion Plans

The Cherokee County Commission has approved a resolution to support the Kansas attorney general's attempt to bar the Quapaw Tribe from extending a casino from Oklahoma into Kansas.

The Joplin Globe reports that the Cherokee County Commission approved the resolution on Monday. The attorney general wants to bar the expansion of the Downstream Casino after the National Indian Gaming Commission granted the Quapaw Tribe permission to expand onto its former reservation land. In 2012, that particular piece of land was placed into a trust stating that it would only be used for parking and agriculture, not gaming.

In late 2013, Downstream Casino applied to operate Class 3 gaming, which includes roulette and craps, on the land in Kansas. Class 3 gaming is unconstitutional in Oklahoma.

12/5/2014 Related Story: Quapaw Tribe Says Feds OK Downstream Casino Expansion Into Kansas

The Quapaw Tribe says the estimated cost of the casino expansion into Kansas is $15 million. The 40,000 square-foot expansion will connect to the existing Downstream Casino building in Oklahoma's Ottawa County.