Friday, January 30, 2009

Gambling is again an issue in the Kansas Legislature.

House Federal and State Affairs Committee Chairman Melvin Neufeld said Friday that his committee is drafting a bill to reduce the minimum investment required to operate a state-owned casino in the southeast Kansas gambling zone of Crawford and Cherokee counties.

The law requires a minimum $225 million investment, plus a $25 million privilege fee. The bill reduces the investment to $50 million, with a $5.5 million fee. That's the same amount that was required for the Dodge City casino being built.

Penn National Gaming Inc. pulled out of Crawford County last year, citing competition from a nearby Oklahoma tribal casino. The Kansas Lottery reopened bidding for the area, but nobody has applied.