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Will Kansas Racinos Get a Bigger Cut?

The Kansas state Senate is poring over a bill currently that would allocate a bigger chunk of slot machine proceeds to the dog and horse-racing tracks that house them. In Topeka, the Federal and State Affairs Committee will hear testimony from those interested in the matter tomorrow. Back in 2007, the state authorized the installation of slot game terminals at four casinos that are owned by Kansas, as well as at racetracks. The Kansas Lottery owns the tracks in question, and has been angling at the state to renegotiate the terms governing what percentage of the proceeds are given back to the tracks.

Currently, the tracks housing the slot games get just a quarter of the proceeds from bets on the gambling devices. The state takes a forty percent cut. Under the terms of the revision being considered at present, track owners’ cut would jump from twenty-five to a very generous forty-three percent, and the state would see their share reduced down to twenty-two percent. It’s a move designed to stimulate the flagging revenues of the racetracks, which have been doing poorly despite the installation of the slots. The machines were supposed to help the racinos out by giving track operators a means through which to increase purse sizes.

FSAC Chairman Pete Brungardt, R-Salina, said that he wasn’t sure if there would be enough votes to move the bill to the general floor of the Senate. Bundled with the bill is a measure that would let voters in Sedgwick County determine whether slot machines ought to be installed at Wichita Greyhound Park.

Back to March 2009 Archive.