Thursday, April 12, 2007

As Gov. Kathleen Sebelius prepares to sign into law the casino and slots
bill, opponents of the legislation said Monday that it may contain hidden
provisions to expand gambling even further. Glenn Thompson, executive
director of the anti-gambling group Stand Up for Kansas, said that under the
bill, future Legislatures could put video slot machines in convenience
stores, grocery stores and other places without having to get voters'
approval. "They could use this question later to place machines at locations
other than racetracks," Thompson said. Thompson is referring to a part of
the bill that calls for a vote in counties that can have state-owned
casinos, slots at pari-mutuel tracks or both. In those counties, voters must
approve resolutions before expanded gambling can be established. For
example, Wyandotte County voters can decide whether to have a casino, slots
or both at The Woodlands horse and dog track. To have slots at The
Woodlands, voters will be asked: "Shall the Kansas Lottery be authorized to
place electronic gaming machines in Wyandotte County?" Thompson says if
Wyandotte County voters approve that resolution, lawmakers could in future
years rewrite the gambling law to say those machines can be placed in other
locations, such as convenience stores, and there would be no need for an
election because the voters already would have decided.