Kansas Lottery Commission approves each of the three casino contracts for Southeast Kansas

The commission was originally scheduled to vote on the contracts at its April 15 meeting in Topeka but delayed voting because of questions about whether Las Vegas billionaire Phil Ruffin was meeting the state's minimum investment of $50 million for a casino that he proposed near Frontenac.

Ruffin turned in more information that commissioners said addressed their concerns, and members approved the contracts in a 13-minute meeting by phone.

Ruffin told the commission that it would cost $21 million to replicate the existing racetrack. He also told the commission that his Camptown Casino proposal would spend $6 million on a player tracking and surveillance  system and $4.5 million before the casino opened on expenses such as salaries and marketing.

Ruffin's proposal is for a $78.5 million project at the former Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac.

The commission also approved contracts with Castle Rock Casino Resort, a $140 million casino that would be built on U.S. Highway 400 near Interstate 44 in Cherokee County, and Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel, a $64.7 million proposal to be built in Pittsburg.

The three proposals will now be reviewed by the Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board, which is expected to choose one of them at its meeting July 2. That proposal will still have to undergo extensive background checks before being approved.

"This is a big, long-awaited step," said Castle Rock partner Rodney Stephen II. "We're eager to move forward."

Ruffin's proposal calls for a casino with 750 slot machines and 20 tables. There would also be a 62-room hotel, dance hall, buffet and gift shop.