Topeka ? The rush is on.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Monday formally announced completion of a proposed compact with the Kickapoo and Sac and Fox tribes for a $210 million casino and hotel at the hottest tourist corner in Kansas — near Interstates 70 and 435 in western Wyandotte County.

Simultaneously, the Delaware Tribe, based in Bartlesville, Okla., announced it would seek federal approval to acquire land in Bonner Springs for a $250 million resort casino.

Other tribes and horse and dog racetracks also are vying for a piece of the action.

“It’s a major expansion of gambling,” said Glenn Thompson, head of an anti-gambling group called Stand Up for Kansas. “The governor and her administration have made a major mistake in submitting a compact that would open the door to expansion of gambling across the state.”

Matt All, chief counsel for Sebelius, defended the proposed compact, saying it would produce jobs and much-needed revenue for the state.

He conceded the project, which faces local, state and federal scrutiny, was a long way from becoming a reality.

“We have to start somewhere,” he said.

New compact

Under the proposed compact, the state could receive as much as $50 million annually in revenue sharing. Wyandotte County could receive $10 million per year. Construction of the facility would require 2,500 workers; 1,500 full-time employees would run the 250-room hotel and 80,000-square-foot casino, officials said.

Gaming compact (pdf) State, tribes seal deal on casino (10-16-04) Governor working with tribes on Wyandotte County casino (9-14-04) See more stories on gambling

The four tribal casinos now operating in Kansas don’t provide revenue to the state, but the Kickapoo and Sac and Fox have agreed to a revenue-sharing plan in return for market protections from the state.

Within 100 miles of the proposed casino, which would be near the Kansas Speedway, the compact sets a limit of no more than 500 slot machines at a pari-mutuel racetrack. Also, the state would not allow any new tribal casino. Outside the 100-mile limit, the state would allow no more than 1,500 slots at tracks.

“We think these market protections provide a reasonable opportunity for the pari-mutuel tracks and other sites to have gaming that would be productive,” All said.

No dice, said track managers.

Jim Gartland, general manager of The Woodlands, a horse and dog track about a mile from the proposed casino site, said his operation couldn’t compete under such limitations.

“If it was just 500 machines against a full-blown casino, I don’t think that would be enough,” Gartland said. He said The Woodlands would lobby the Legislature again next year to allow higher numbers of slots and video terminals.

But while he said the compact wouldn’t do enough for existing gambling venues, other critics warned the compact would make Kansas a wide-open gambling state.

‘Constant assault’

Senate President Dave Kerr, a Republican from Hutchinson, said the compact opened the door for increased pressure on gambling.

“That still leaves the Legislature under constant assault from the gaming interests,” he said. “They’ll be back and back and back.”

Thompson said if the compact allowed only one casino in Wyandotte County, his group would have supported it. But, he said, the compact would lead to slots at the tracks and other sites.

All, however, said the market restrictions set limits, and that any authorization of further gambling would require legislation.

He said the Delaware’s announcement of applying to have land put into trust for a casino “was nothing new.”

“I don’t have enough fingers to count the Oklahoma tribes that would like to build a casino in this state,” All said. But he said that Sebelius would only negotiate with Kansas tribes.

In 2000, the Delaware proposed putting in a casino near Lawrence but was opposed by many groups.

In addition there are other tribes vying for casinos in Kansas. The Wyandotte tribe, based in Oklahoma, is battling the state about whether it can operate a casino on land it owns in downtown Kansas City, Kan. Last week, the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska announced plans to develop a large casino near Wichita.

With so many interests competing, Gartland, with The Woodlands, said, “There is still a long way to go.”