Should Wichita Build a Casino?

[rjl]

In regards to the "no one from OKC will travel to gamble in Wichita" respectively I disagree.

In Kansas, you can win up to $500 w/o paying taxes.

In Oklahoma, you can win up to $2000 w/o paying taxes.

Isn't that like income tax?

In which case, it doesn't matter. A Kansan playing in Oklahoma has to pay income tax on winnings over $500, and an Oklahoman playing in Kansas has to pay income tax on winnings over $2000.

[martymoose]

In regards to the "no one from OKC will travel to gamble in Wichita" respectively I disagree.

In Kansas, you can win up to $500 w/o paying taxes.

In Oklahoma, you can win up to $2000 w/o paying taxes.

Isn't that like income tax?

In which case, it doesn't matter. A Kansan playing in Oklahoma has to pay income tax on winnings over $500, and an Oklahoman playing in Kansas has to pay income tax on winnings over $2000.

Technically, I think you're supposed to claim it all on your taxes.

[BOBB]

I honestly don't give a crap if people lose their house and or family to gambling. That's your problem for not being able to control yourself. If you can't control your gambling then your probably already teetering on the brink with alcohol and all of life's other bad vice's.

That's a shortsighted take. I'm a yes on the casino, but crumbling families are YOUR problem. When the children of crumbling families turn in to criminals and victimize you or your family it becomes your problem. When there are foreclosures in the city, that drives down all of our value.

[wxkid23]

Why not?

I fail to see what having a casino downtown is going to hurt. It's already dead down there and the baseball team is leaving. If anything this will help support the waterwalk which IMO is another failure in another few years if left by itself. The downtown needs entertainment options and this gives it that.

Also, a lot of other things cause criminals than casion addicts. How about drug addicts, people that shoulden't be parents.. etc... people need to take responsibility for themselves and not leave it to other people. And driving down the value of the city is not a huge concern when the value is already low.

Sure having a casino may cause a few addicts that will destory families etc... I don't feel that should keep me from trying to enjoy myself while I live here.

[SB Shock]

Sure having a casino may cause a few addicts that will destory families etc... I don't feel that should keep me from trying to enjoy myself while I live here.

Are you still living in Wichita? I thought you were moving?

[wxkid23]

Sure having a casino may cause a few addicts that will destory families etc... I don't feel that should keep me from trying to enjoy myself while I live here.

Are you still living in Wichita? I thought you were moving?

Yeah, probably moving in 3 or 4 years which is why I care about the Casino debate.

[WSU and Reds Fan]

I am voting for the casino because if it is not in Wichita or Park City it will be close enough just south of here that all the negatives will still be here without any of the positives.

[BOBB]

I am voting for the casino because if it is not in Wichita or Park City it will be close enough just south of here that all the negatives will still be here without any of the positives.

Exactly.

[SB Shock]

It seems the tide is turning against the casino.

In April it was 70% for.
In the first week of July it was 65%
In the 2nd week of July it had dropped to 55%
In another poll I saw it was edging closer to 50-50.

[SubGod22]

I'll never use it. It's not my style. I also don't live in the county so I have no vote. I'm still kinda on the fence about it but with the reading I've done on this, both sides, if I had to choose at the moment it would probably be "no"

I like living outside of Wichita and outside the county. I'm not sure how much of the negatives would really effect me, and none of the positives would probably effect me either. I'm just not sure if this is the route Wichita really wants to take. Unless the city has something else to draw people in, who would then use a casino, I don't see how much good it can really do.

[rayc]

SubGod22:
…Unless the city has something else to draw people in, who would then use a casino,…

The casino itself has to be the draw. If it does not draw people (and $$$) from outside of the Wichita area, it is probably an economic drain overall on the area.

As an impartial outsider looking in, one thing stands out which remind me of Florida politics which sadly, often makes Louisiana look downright saintly.

The wording of the proposition you are voting on must be taken literally. You can not read anything into it. If casinos as being envisioned by the posters were in the plans, you would not have a high % going to the operators and State with little or nothing staying local. The distribution of ownership would determine where the money went.

Writing a tight proposition one way to financially benefit special interests then selling the idea to voters based on fantasies is politics 101 here.

If it does not have local investors with a substantial financial stake (and a corresponding share of the money staying in town), I doubt that it will succeed. Without strong local participation in ownership you will end up essentially with a modified Bingo Hall and slots.

This really sounds like a legal scam run by those profiting from the lottery. A page straight from the Florida politics manual.

FWIW – I think a legitimate casino could be a great draw for Wichita, but this has a bad smell if you are truly looking for casino gambling. All my humble opinion of course.

[SubGod22]

I just don't see why someone would choose to come to Wichita to gamble when they can go to KC. If it's roughly the same distance, I'd choose KC over Wichita because there are more things in KC that I'd rather do as well than here. That's why I think for this to be a success, Wichita has to find other ways to draw people to the city. Maybe the DT arena can help in this department. But I don't know.

I definately agree with you about the local investors and all that.

[rayc]

Actually casino gambling is a poor choice of words, casino experience is more accurate. Gambling is a part of it, for some the major part, for others a very minor or no part at all. It would include multiple venues for first class entertainment, dining, shopping, and hotels. I think this is what many of the pro casino crowd have in mind, but I don’t think this is what the proposition is about.

Done correctly, a legitimate casino can play a very big role in booking downtown conventions and business gatherings as well as major sporting events for the new arena. Outside of professional sports, the KC area really offers little more than Wichita, and there is no reason a great Wichita casino/entertainment complex wouldn’t draw even from KC. Personally, if I lived in KC, taking the wife or girl friend on a weekend trip to a first class casino in Wichita would be a pleasant change of scenery and very appealing.

[SubGod22]

You do have a point there. If the casino would generate more downtown options for dining and shopping and whatever else I could see where it would be more appealing to outsiders. But considering the history of Wichita and it's lack of thinking ahead I have to doubt that it'll be done.

It'll be interesting to see how the vote goes next week. I have no idea what the feel of the public is right now. I'd say it'll be a fairly close vote either way and will make for some interesting discussion in the near future.

[Wheaties]

I honestly don't give a crap if people lose their house and or family to gambling. That's your problem for not being able to control yourself. If you can't control your gambling then your probably already teetering on the brink with alcohol and all of life's other bad vice's.

That's a shortsighted take. I'm a yes on the casino, but crumbling families are YOUR problem. When the children of crumbling families turn in to criminals and victimize you or your family it becomes your problem. When there are foreclosures in the city, that drives down all of our value.

Whenever I post and drink I come across as overly opinionated, basically I turn into Cold. I guess I said it too harshly, I care, just not very much. You say that it's possible that kids of crumbling families can turn into criminals. (reminds me of Chris Rock "Take care a yo kids before they rob me in ten years") I just don't think that it happens enough to become a credible argument against a casino. I think that they were likely headed down that road to begin with whether it be via a gambling problem or one of life's other pitfalls.