Indian Gaming > Tonkawa Tribe draws crowd at new casino near Kansas

July 10, 2006

Tonkawa Tribe draws crowd at new casino near Kansas

The Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma opened its new Native Lights Casino, aimed at drawing in people from nearby Kansas.

The 22,500 square-foot casino is the largest near Wichita, about 75 miles away. It's only a few miles south of the Kansas border.

The facility opened late Thursday and drew a crowd of gamblers, many from Kansas, despite little advertising. The general manager expects 75 percent to 80 percent of business will come from Kansas.

The tribe cleared up a regulatory and legal dispute with federal officials before opening the casino. The tribe and a former casino manager are paying $2.5 million in fines for violating federal bank law.

Get the Story:
Oklahoma casino designed to lure area gamblers south (The Wichita Eagle 7/8)
Feds give OK for Tonkawas to open casino (The Oklahoman 7/9)
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