Category Archives: gambling

Beware of sky-is-falling arguments on casino

July 17, 20071:06 p.m.

If you listen to the dire predictions of many casino opponents, a Wichita casino will end life as we know it in our fair city, unleashing a wave of crime and economic decline and forever damaging the community’s character.
Don’t believe it, we argue in today’s editorial. An Eagle series this week is taking a close look at the actual experience of communities with casinos, and the reporters have found that cities such as Des Moines seem to have prospered from casino tax revenues while not suffering any increase in major crime.
People might still choose, on balance, to oppose a casino in Wichita, but the evidence doesn’t support doomsday scenarios.
Posted by Randy Scholfield

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under gambling | Comments (88)

County folds on casino request

July 12, 20071:11 p.m.

Sedgwick County commissioners took a noticeable step back from gaming this week when they called off a request for proposals for the Kansas Coliseum that focused exclusively on casino projects. With an anti-casino campaign gearing up, it appears commissioners are feeling political heat and nervous about being identified as pro-gaming.
At any rate, it makes sense to get other proposals about the future of the Coliseum site. As Commissioner Tim Norton said, "We’ve kind of gotten off on gaming, but we need to think about other options."
Posted by Randy Scholfield

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under gambling | Comments (52)