Topeka ? The House gave first-round approval to a gambling bill Thursday after making so many changes in three hours of debate that the sponsor called it “unacceptable.”

“I don’t think anyone wants it to go to the Senate like this,” Rep. John Ballou, R-Gardner, said after the 65-57 vote that advanced the measure to final House action set for today.

Intended as a revenue-raising measure to help balance the state budget, the bill would allow slot machines and video lottery games at the state’s existing dog and horse tracks and at casinos in Ford and Geary counties.

For each venue, local voters would have to approve the addition of the gambling machines or the opening of casinos.

The bill sets the state’s share of the profits from the expanded gambling at 30 percent of the first $50 million and at varying percentages of any profits above that level.

Under an amendment approved by the House, the chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court would decide how the state’s share of the profits would be spent.

The House spent most of the debate on amendments earmarking part of the profits to groups such as teachers — and even to a bison preserve near Pittsburg.

“We’ve been playing games with this bill,” Ballou told the chamber as the amendment process came to an end. “It’s time to get it out of here and over to the Senate.”

Rep. Bill Mason said allowing slots at race tracks and the two proposed casinos would change “the whole climate of Kansas.” He called the proposal a “terrible deal” and argued that the state’s share of the profits should be higher.

“At this point in this session, we shouldn’t be talking about something as permanent as this for a temporary financial condition,” said Mason, R-El Dorado. The debate took place on the second day of the Legislature’s wrap-up session.

Mason favors a plan by the Kickapoo and Sac and Fox tribes, which now have separate casinos in northeast Kansas, to open a large casino in Wyandotte County.

The tribes’ plan provides more jobs and more enduring benefits, Mason said. A study commissioned by the tribes indicates the project would create more than 1,500 construction jobs and that the casino’s payroll would exceed $16 million.

Supporters of Ballou’s plan argued that all of Kansas would benefit from the revenue it would yield, while relatively few people would be near the race tracks or casinos.