By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
GALENA, Kan. — The Kansas Lottery has rejected an application for a state-owned casino in Cherokee County, but a principal in the effort says the group might shoot the dice again.
Ozark Trail Gaming was notified by letter that its application was being rejected because it didn’t meet the state’s minimum requirements.
Bob Knight, former Wichita mayor who is a principal with Ozark Trail Gaming, said Tuesday that the group may try again in January.
“I’m not convinced that we can’t get it done,” he said in a phone interview.
The state letter noted that Ozark Trail provided no information in its application that it had access to the financial resources to support a casino and provided no evidence of experience with gambling operations, which is required by the law allowing state-owned casinos.
The rejection of the application means applications for a casino in the Southeast Gaming Zone will continue to be accepted until a Jan. 19 deadline. Ozark Trail is not prohibited from applying again.
The Ozark Trail Casino was planned for an area off Interstate 44 along Highway 166, near the Downstream Casino Resort in Oklahoma.
Knight said the difficulty was in securing the financing for the $225 million project. He said there would be a real opportunity if the Legislature would reduce the required minimum investment for the casino.
“That’s not good news,” said Cherokee County Commissioner Pat Collins when told of the application’s rejection.
“I wish them well in their endeavors,” he said. “I’m happy that they picked us. Perhaps they’ll have better luck next time.”
“I like the location,” Knight said. “There’s an awful lot going for it. But we’re very, very hard-pressed to make the $225 million work. If we can put this financial package together, everything else takes care of itself.”
Knight said the lack of experience with gambling cited by the state also was a formality. “It’s easy to rectify if we have a financing package in place,” he said.
“We haven’t given up, yet,” Knight said. “We still have things we want to try.”
Barone’s help
Former Wichita Mayor Bob Knight said former state Sen. Jim Barone, D-Frontenac, has done “a lot of the heavy lifting” for the Ozark Trail Casino proposal.
Local News
State rejects application for Cherokee County casino
- Local News
-
-
Mo. Legislature officially ends its 2012 session
Missouri's annual legislative session has officially come to a close.
-
Strong to severe storms forecast for Joplin region
Storms developing across the central and southern plains this afternoon are expected to migrate into the Joplin region this evening.
-
Economic-development strategies posed for Joplin region
More than 30 people shared ideas Wednesday on ways to promote economic development in the seven counties that are participating in the Joplin Regional Prosperity Initiative.
-
Kansas primary filing deadline near
Kansas candidates have until noon Friday for file for county offices in the Aug. 7 primary.
-
Date set to reintroduce rare beetle in Missouri
An endangered species of beetle will be reintroduced in southwest Missouri on June 5.
-
Senators: Missouri River flooding unifying moment
Two U.S. senators who symbolize disagreements between upstream and downstream states over management of the Missouri River say last year’s historic flooding was a unifying moment.
-
First-ever electricity for parts of India
The solar power company SunEdison is launching a program to get electricity for the first time to more than two dozen villages in India.
-
Couple 'scoop out' ice cream business from the past
When 3-year-old Brynlee Rabel tried coconut ice cream for the first time Tuesday, it was love at first taste. “She got the vanilla, but when she tasted my coconut ice cream she had to have it,” said Kayleigh Daugherty, a Joplin resident who wanted Brynlee to share the same experience she had as a little girl when she visited Anderson’s Ice Cream.
-
Missouri National Guard releases records involving soldiers who looted from Wal-Mart
The Missouri National Guard has released records confirming that four soldiers were disciplined for taking merchandise from the ruins of a Wal-Mart store in Joplin one day after the tornado that devastated the city a year ago.
-
Joplin school board awards contract to complete demolition of JHS
The Joplin Board of Education on Tuesday night accepted a bid for finishing tornado-related demolition at the high school.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Mo. Legislature officially ends its 2012 session
