Quapaw Tribe faces competition for Kansas commercial casino


The site of the former Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac, Kansas. Image from Google Maps

The Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma is facing competition for a proposed commercial casino in Kansas.

The tribe is working with Phil Ruffin, the owner of the defunct Camptown Greyhound Park and the owner of the Las Vegas Treasure Island Hotel & Casino, on the project. They plan to submit a bid to the Kansas Lottery Commission by a December 19 deadline.


An aerial view of the former Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac, Kansas. Image from Google Maps

“Chairman Berrey and everyone are working through the process," spokesperson Alan Mauk told The Joplin Globe. "Their plans haven’t changed at all.”

A second developer, however, has entered the race. The Southeast Kansas Casino Group is also planning to bid on the sole license for the region.

“It’s very favorable for us, because this gives us two in the game," Pittsburg City Manager Daron Hall told the paper.


The Downstream Casino Resort. Photo from Facebook

The tribe operates the Downstream Casino Resort just 40 miles north of the Camptown site. The gaming portion sits on trust land in Oklahoma while other parts of the facility are located in Missouri and Kansas.

The casino at Camptown is being envisioned as a smaller-scale version of Downstream.

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