The possibility of expanded gambling opportunities in Kansas may be gaining steam.

Efforts to expand gambling in Kansas have turned into something of a horse race. The odds that someone is going to be operating slot machines in Wyandotte County and perhaps other locations in the state are good, but it’s difficult to handicap who has the best chance of making that happen.

The Wyandotte tribe of Oklahoma was dealt a setback Wednesday when the U.S. Interior Department clarified an earlier ruling that the tribe had used as the basis for moving 200 slot machines into a former Masonic lodge in Kansas City, Kan. The Interior Department said this week that the tribe had misinterpreted the ruling, which was not intended to allow such gambling on that site.

The Wyandotte tribe already had moved the slot machines out of the building, which was located across the street from the Kansas City, Kan., city hall. The tribe reportedly was less interested in operating a casino in that location than it was in gaining leverage for its plan to operate slot machines at The Woodlands racetrack or some other site in western Wyandotte County.

The Wyandottes aren’t the only ones interested in increased gambling at The Woodlands. A bill currently in the Kansas Legislature would allow slot machines and other electronic gambling devices at five pari-mutuel racetracks, including The Woodlands, and one additional site. Supporters of the measure say the slots would save The Woodlands, be an economic development asset for Wyandotte County and provide an entertainment venue that Kansans want. And, perhaps most importantly in this tight financial year, it would provide additional revenue for the state budget.

The bill currently making its way through the Kansas Senate would give 66 percent of net gaming revenues to the track owners, 1 percent to the cities and counties where the tracks are located and 26.5 percent to the state treasury.

But wait, yet another player has entered the game. Two northeast Kansas Indian tribes the Kickapoo and the Sac and Fox have announced they would like to combine their current casino operations and move the entire enterprise to Wyandotte County. By law, the tribes are required to negotiate a gambling agreement with the state, and tribal leaders have said they would be willing to give the state a share of the profits as part of the bargain.

Such an arrangement would leave the business of casino gambling in the hands of Indian tribes rather than incorporating it into state law. The tribes would benefit by keeping their exclusive right to operate casinos in the state as well as by moving their business to a far more accessible location. If a satisfactory agreement can be reached with the tribes, this might be the most palatable way for legislators to expand gambling and state revenue.

It could be that other Indian tribes are interested in expanded gambling in Kansas. For instance, is the Delaware tribe that proposed a casino north of Lawrence still hoping to pursue a Kansas project?

There are, of course, some legislators who still are standing on principle and fighting any expansion of gambling in the state. Given the dire need for additional revenue, however, the odds of those legislators prevailing seem small. There also are observers who wonder just how much gaming Kansas needs. Is there really enough demand for gambling in the state to match the increased gambling supply that is being proposed?

If the state wants more gambling locations, the racetracks probably are preferable to downtown Kansas City, Kan., and if a favorable financial deal can be made, allowing Indian tribes to operate the gaming probably is preferable to changing state law. Given the current tenor of the Kansas Legislature, how this debate will be resolved is anything but a safe bet.