“We never have been in competition with Cherokee County,” McGeorge said. “We thought the state would benefit more if it was built in Crawford County.”

He said he thinks the state will benefit whether the casino is built in Crawford County or Cherokee County.

“I guess it was just wishful thinking,” McGeorge said of talk of a Crawford County casino application.

Joseph did not return calls seeking comment on Thursday.

Wichita Greyhound Park Inc. is planning a $25 million upgrade and expansion of the Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac with 600 slot machines. A grand opening is planned for May 2008.

Joseph wrote in his Aug. 14 letter that Heart of the Balkans Gaming Co. had an option to buy 160 acres for a casino near Camptown Greyhound Park.

Bill Shea, executive vice president of Ruffin Cos., owner of Wichita Greyhound Park Inc., said it would be up to the developers if a destination casino were to be built near Camptown. He said he would prefer that it doesn’t happen.

“I’d love to have no competition, ever,” Shea said. He added that Camptown will be a first-class operation and will have the ability to compete with anything built next to it.

If the state were to approve Penn National’s Cherokee County application, the casino would be competing with Downstream Casino Resort, a casino and hotel complex that the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma is building near the proposed Penn National site.

Change of plans

Penn National Gaming announced Thursday that it would not proceed with a proposed acquisition of Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Md. A law authorizing 15,000 slot machines at five locations around the state excluded Rosecroft Raceway.