By Gene Meyer of the Kansas Reporter.org
July 13, 2011
TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas lottery and gaming revenues, of which the state's share rose 5 percent to $103.8 million in 2011, likely will go through some major changes in the next 12 months, the new Kansas Lottery Commission executive director said Wednesday.
Lottery Commission executives currently project that the state's share of gambling revenues a year from now will be in the same ballpark as now, but that the sources of the funds will change significantly, newly appointed executive director Dennis Wilson told Lottery commissioners at their July meeting.
New revenues from the state's Hollywood casino in Kansas City, expected to open in February, and the new Kansas Star casino opening soon after that near Mulvane are projected to replace a one-time $25 million payment that Kansas Star developers made in 2011 to bid for a state casino license.
"The job of this commission and the lottery will be changing when all those casinos come on line," Wilson said.
