October 14, 2008 07:26 pm
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The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. — The owner of two closed racetracks wants Kansas regulators to wait to revoke the tracks’ operating licenses until legislators can reconsider how much slot-machine revenue tracks should be allowed to keep.
“We want an opportunity to go back before the Legislature. Give us four or five months before you jerk our license,” Phil Ruffin Sr., told the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission on Monday.
The commission had planned a hearing Monday on revoking the licenses of Wichita Greyhound Park in Sedgwick County and Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac, both owned by Ruffin’s company, as well as The Woodlands horse and dog tracks, owned by Howard Grace and other members of the Grace family.
Before Ruffin spoke, the commission agreed to postpone its hearing until Nov. 7 after attorneys and commission members wrangled for an hour over procedural issues. Commission Chairwoman Carol Sader, of Prairie Village, said Ruffin’s request will be considered at that hearing.
Lawmakers won’t have had a chance to revisit the issue of slot-machine revenues because the next legislative session doesn’t begin until January.
The Woodlands closed in August after failing to reach an agreement with the Kansas Lottery on operating the slots. Wichita Greyhound Park closed last year after Sedgwick County voters rejected casino gambling. Camptown has been closed since 2000, and negotiations with the Lottery ended in a stalemate.
The track owners contend that they need slot machines to be profitable. A 2007 law allows slots at pari-mutuel tracks, with the state owning the gambling. That law leaves no more than 40 percent of revenues from the slots for the tracks, and owners contend that’s not enough.
Ruffin wants the tracks to receive 58 percent of the revenues, reducing the state’s take to 22 percent, the amount it is to receive from four state-owned casinos allowed under the same law.
Currently, 40 percent of the revenue goes to the state, and 20 percent goes to local governments and various funds to help horses, dogs, smaller tracks and problem gamblers.
The law allows casinos a bigger piece of revenue from slot machines because they are expected to put up a substantial initial investment of up to $250 million, said Ed Van Petten, executive director of the Kansas Lottery Commission.
“Racetracks were not required to make the investment that casino operations are required to make,” said Van Petten, who added that tracks are expected to invest between $30 million and $40 million in order to have the infrastructure necessary for slots.
“(The tracks) do need a substantial investment, but it’s a lot different than $250 million.”
Staff writer Greg Grisolano contributed to this report.
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