The following editorial appears in Thursday's Kansas City Star.
Wyandotte County leaders have coveted a casino for years. So the three mayors in the county had cause to toast the overwhelming approval of two ballot measures to let gambling plans move forward.
But hurdles remain to gambling there. And for the region, the implications of this week’s vote are sobering.
A resort casino in Wyandotte County and slots at The Woodlands racetrack will mean less business for the four area casinos in Missouri.
Kansas City, Riverside and North Kansas City should start now to assess how a drop in gambling revenues — or even the loss of a casino — might affect their communities. The local market has not been able to sustain five casinos in the past.
The state of Kansas and Wyandotte County also have work to do, starting with learning whether the new state law permitting gambling passes constitutional muster.
The Kansas Constitution restricts gambling to “state owned and operated” lottery games. Until the Kansas Supreme Court decides whether slots, poker and other gambling can be defined as a lottery game, it would be folly for investors to move forward on building a casino.
Kansas officials must also quickly seek a clear legal ruling on what responsibilities the state incurs by owning and operating casinos.
The idea of a state being in charge of enterprises that so efficiently strip citizens of their money is less than desirable. But since the Legislature and governor have made such a circumstance possible, Kathleen Sebelius and her administration must now set up safeguards to make sure casinos and slot machines are operated under the highest standards.
The finances, attendance figures and data on slot machine payback rates must be transparent to the public.
Joe Reardon, mayor of Wyandotte County’s Unified Government, said Tuesday night that his administration hasn’t had time to determine exactly how it will spend anticipated casino revenue.
It’s essential to come up with a good plan. Property tax relief, better city services and infrastructure repairs have long been among the county’s most pressing needs, especially in older neighborhoods. Wyandotte County citizens should have the chance to help their leaders set priorities.
