Betting, revenue up as Woodlands officials deny closure speculation

Sunday, March 19, 2000 | 10:20 a.m.

Operators of The Woodlands in Kansas City, Kan., told Kansas Racing and Gaming commissioners that revenues and betting were up since the first of the year.

General manager Allan Meyers said betting was up 15 percent on dog races and 17 percent on simulcast horse races.

"We're not closed," Meyers said, attributing the recent success to aggressive marketing and improved food and beverage offerings.

Overall, attendance is up nearly 11 percent in part to the efforts by the management group led by co-owner Bill Grace.

Still, track officials were explaining recent remarks by Grace that the track may close Aug. 31. Earlier this year, Grace has said that the track's future was bleak if the Legislature did not approve slot machine gambling at the track. Grace did not attend Friday's meeting.

Dan Denk, a lawyer for TRACK East, the non-profit group that holds the state racing license, said there were no plans to close the track on any date.

"We have no intention to close in August," he said.

Larry Seckington, a lawyer for Grace's Mid Continent Racing and Gaming III company, said The Woodlands were getting financially stronger each week, and that closure has never been formally discussed by track directors.

However, Seckington said the track was still "at a break-even position. Investors deserve a return on their money."

He expects a bill to be introduced Monday in the Kansas Senate to permit local option voting to allow slot machines and other gambling devices at state-licensed tracks.

Early language of the bill would give the state 20 percent of all slot revenues for to fund education and other budget priorities. The horse and dog racing industries also would receive shares for larger purses to attract more and better-quality racing to the state.

As the gaming commission heard of one track's rebound, it gave conditional approval to Phil Ruffin to reopen Camptown Racetrack in Frontenac. Ruffin owns Wichita Greyhound Park, as well as casinos in Las Vegas and the Bahamas.

With Ruffin as license holder, the track would be open year-round for simulcast betting and on weekends for live dog racing starting July 1. However, track officials say simulcasting could begin as early as next month.

In other matters, the Kansas Gaming Agency was authorized to enter arbitration with Harrah's Prairie Band Casino near Topeka over alcohol service on the gaming floor, which had been prohibited.

At issue is interpretation of the agreement between the state and the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Tribe concerning the boundaries within the casino for alcohol sales.

A $7.5 million remodeling of the tribal gambling hall was opened to the public Friday. It added a brew pub and expanded the gaming floor by around 250 additional slot machines.

Gaming Agency Executive Director Tracy Diel said the casino plans to allow alcoholic beverages to be served and consumed in that area.