Wyandotte Tribe's victory brings them closer to having a casino

(Kansas City, Kansas-AP) -- The Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma appears one step closer to putting a casino in Wyandotte County, Kansas. <br><br>A federal judge's dismissal of lawsuits filed by the state

Friday, March 10th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Kansas City, Kansas-AP) -- The Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma appears one step closer to putting a casino in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

A federal judge's dismissal of lawsuits filed by the state and four other Indian tribes cleared the way for the Wyandotte to takeover a downtown building.

Tribal leaders say they do not plan to turn the building into a casino. They say they would prefer to build one at The Woodlands racetrack in western Wyandotte County.

And tribal leaders say Governor Bill Graves has said that he would consult and work with them on a Wyandotte casino if they prevailed in the lawsuits.

Negotiations for a casino were suspended in 1996 after the U-S Interior Department placed the Oklahoma Wyandotte's reservation land in Kansas City, Kansas, into a trust on the tribe's behalf. The land includes the Shriner building and the old Huron Cemetery.