Consultant: Mulvane casino site trumps Wellington

? Gambling consultants have determined that a proposed casino in Mulvane would bring in higher revenues and offer more amenities than a plan offered for Wellington.

But they also note that both sites could suffer if a tribal casino were built in Park City, adjacent to the primary population base the other two proposed casinos would hope to attract.

Peninsula Gaming, based in Dubuque, Iowa, is proposing to build the Kansas Star Casino near Mulvane, about 18 miles south of Wichita. Its plans include an equestrian/events center that impressed the consultants more than the auto race track proposed by Global Gaming Solutions.

The Ada, Okla., company wants to build WinSpirit Casino near Wellington, about 35 miles south of Wichita.

Both companies are vying to build and operate a Sumner County casino in southern Kansas that would be owned by the state. Both have paid a $25 million “privilege fee” to keep their applications current.

The Wichita Eagle reported Saturday that two financial consultants, Cummings Associates and Wells Gaming Research, came to similar conclusions about the revenue disparity between the Mulvane and Wellington proposals.

Cummings projects that Kansas Star Casino would bring in $159 million at a temporary facility in 2012, rise to $192 million in 2014 and hit $213 million when the project is competed in 2016.

Revenues at the Wellington casino would be about 462 million in 2012, rise to $141 million in 2014, $155.8 million in 2016 and about $160 million after the casino is finished, Cummings said.

Wells Gaming forecasts WinSpirit would bring in about $45 million in its first six months in 2012, compared with $132.8 million for Kansas Star in its first full year.

Both consultants said they projected higher earnings for Kansas Star because it’s closer to Wichita. Conversely, WinStar would be more popular with people who travel farther than 100 miles because of its proximity to Oklahoma population centers and would have a travel plaza to capture drive-by traffic off Interstate 35, they said.

Things change drastically if a proposed tribal casino were to open in Park City, just north of Wichita, the consultants said. WinSpirits revenue would be 18 percent to 21 percent lower if the tribal casino were built, while Kansas Star’s revenue would be about 21 percent to 25 percent lower, Cummings said.

Wells estimates that a Park City casino could reduce revenues at either state-owned site by 41 percent by 2016.

Global Gaming has questioned the methods used by the consultants to project revenues. It argued that its experience along the I-35 corridor and its own market research show the revenue numbers would not be significantly different.

The Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board will meet with consultants on Wednesday and is expected to pick the winning proposal at a meeting Dec. 15 in Topeka.