Applications to develop and operate casinos in Sumner County filed

Three companies – Lakes Entertainment, Foxwoods Development Co. and Equity Ventures – have applied to develop and operate a casino in the South Central Kansas Gaming Zone in Sumner County.  

“The plan we submitted provides for a $265,000,000 investment in the casino development, which will feature approximately 2,000 slot machines, 60 table games, a poker room, a number of restaurants, and a retail component,” Timothy Cope, president and CFO of Lakes, said in a statement from the company. “Phase two of the development could include a hotel and entertainment center, child care facility and other market driven amenities.”    

Foxwoods’ new development would be called the Chisholm Creek Casino Resort. As the 100 percent owner of Chisholm Creek Casino Resort, Foxwoods Development Company said it would be responsible for developing and managing the new facility. In addition, Foxwoods Development Company would draw upon the resources that Foxwoods Resort Casino and the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Connecticut has to offer for the benefit of the project.

“Foxwoods Development Company has spent nearly three years working on the program, design, and image of Chisholm Creek Casino Resort. We have created a customized product for the Sumner County market offering superior architecture, non-gaming amenities and convenient access,” President Gary Armentrout was quoted in wire reports. “We have partnered with best-in-class design and construction professionals, including the Friedmutter Group who is a prominent leader in casino architecture and responsible for many of the world’s most recognizable gaming projects. Rather than proposing to build the type of ‘off-the-shelf’ casino project that other operators simply duplicate in city after city, our brand, design, and vision reflect the culture and history of South Central Kansas, and would be a unique attraction that makes Sumner County a true regional destination.”

South Central Gaming Partners, which includes Equity Ventures development company and two former Mandalay Resort Group executives, Mike Ensign, former CEO of Mandalay, and Peter Simon, a senior vice president, is the third applicant in Sumner County. Equity, along with then  partner Harrah's Entertainment Inc., withdrew its application for Sumner County in November, citing poor economic conditions.