Thursday, April 05, 2007

The state Legislature has made it possible to expand casino gambling in
Kansas. While gambling proponents hit the jackpot, the negative
repercussions from gambling will outweigh the economic benefits over the
long term. On Thursday, the Senate voted 21-19 to allow construction of four
state-owned, privately managed casinos and the installation of 2,200 slot
machines at three dog and horse racetracks. The legislation would allow
destination-style casinos to be built in Wyandotte and Ford counties,
Crawford or Cherokee counties and Sedgwick or Sumner counties - all subject
to voter approval in these counties. Voters need to say no to these proposed
casinos. Sen. Karin Brownlee of Olathe rightly opposed the measure. "... The
difference is that crime will likely triple within three years; suicides
will increase significantly. Pathological or problem gamblers will double
with a casino within 50 miles." Brownlee rightly surmises that additional
gambling options will change the face of Kansas. Sen. Pat Apple and Rep.
Jene Vickrey, both of Louisburg, also voted against the measure. Vickrey
made the point that out-of-state or tribal casinos already exist in a
70-mile radius of Kansas' major population centers. With most people living
about an hour's drive from a casino, more gambling houses are not needed.
Under the legislation, local governments would realize only 3 percent of the
revenue generated by these additional casinos. That's a small return for the
potential headaches that gambling could pose in our communities.