Kansas Falls Behind Oklahoma In Casino Arms Race

Associated Press

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas leaders' dream of state-owned casinos drawing visitors and much-needed revenue to the Sunflower State are on hold while Indian-owned casinos in Oklahoma are flourishing.

Oklahoma's growing roster of casinos will certainly be a temptation to visitors determining where to place their bets.

East of Tulsa, the Cherokee Casino Resort in Catoosa is rebranding itself as a Hard Rock casino and is completing a $155 million expansion.

In northeast Oklahoma, the Quapaw Tribe's $301 million Downstream Casino Resort has already made its presence felt in Kansas, forcing Penn National Gaming to give up on building a casino in neighboring Cherokee County. The Downstream is located only 65 feet from the Kansas border and features a 222-room hotel, five restaurants, an outdoor concert venue and a 36-hole golf course.