Kansas casino plans dropped

2008-09-12 16:03:26

A firm which had shown an interest in running a state-owned casino in Kansas has dropped out of the plans, it has been reported.

Penn National Gaming said its proposed casino in Cherokee County has been scrapped as it did not believe it could compete with a nearby gambling house in Oklahoma, according to the Associated Press.

The report says the firm blamed conditions on a Kansas law passed in 2007 allowing a single state-owned casino in all four counties, claiming it would be too large an investment.

Eric Schippers, a vice-president at the organisation, told the news provider the Oklahoma casino operated by Quapaw Tribe, which opened this summer, is already enjoying competitive advantages such as lower tax rates.

"The legislature did not envision the speed with which their project was developed or even the fact that their project could be developed.

"We were looking for a way to try to make it work despite the competition across the street," he added.

Meanwhile, in other casino news it was reported by Bloomberg this week that one Vancouver-based developer is trying to raise cash for a casino resort in Vietnam.