On Tuesday, August 7, Sedgewick County voters chose to not allow a casino to be built in this county in Kansas. Since this was a two part vote on casinos and slot machines in Sedgwick County, the second part of the voting disallowed slot machines in the Wichita Greyhound Park.

Since both parts of the casino issue were voted down by the residents in this county in Kansas, the Wichita Greyhound Park will be closing its doors in 90 days due to lack of interest from the citizens of the area. The Wichita Greyhound Park will be the fourth business to close its doors in the area.

The Wichita Wranglers have also pulled out of the Wichita area. The Wichita area also has felt the loss of their Soccer team as well. Yet the county voters want to build a new arena in downtown Wichita rather than update the Kansas Coliseum which can provide the same aspects a new arena can.

While the vote on Tuesday created another loss and downfall for new jobs in the area, the Sumner County residents, located just south of Sedgwick county, are still in the running for a destination casino in the area. The casino could come to life in the southwest area off of the turnpike, also known as I-35.

After Sedgwick county had voted down the casino in their area, Sumner county did have two more groups bid for a casino in that county bring the total of casino bids to six for the area. It was almost two years ago when Sumner County residents voted for a destination casino. But, due to the residents and county commissioners feeling it was unfair for a casino to be added to another county, they decided to put it to a vote.

While Sedgewick County wants to revitalize the Wichita area for further tourism in this area of the state of Kansas, they are losing out on a casino and the pro bowlers tour in the area due to the pro bowlers pulling out the last go round due to lack of other interests in the area for the players and fans.

While revitalizing Wichita, Kansas, is a great idea for tourism, the direction being taken is underutilized. Unkept ball parks, non-aid to the sites already in place is putting a damper on the sites around the county and city for tourism.

With sites like Old Cowtown Museum, Wichita Botanica Garden, Wichita Art Museum, Exploration Place, and the Mid-American All-Indian Center being centrally located within two to three miles of each other, the tourists sites do not draw large enough crowds due to under advertisement for tourists.

This does not include the plans for a river walk in the area of these tourists attractions along the river, yet the building of the casino in the Sedgwick County area near Wichita could have help in the tourist attractions and their crowd numbers.

The fears of what a casino could do to an area brought out the droves who thought that legalized gaming in the area would create more harm than good. People will gamble one way or another whether there is a casino in Wichita, Kansas, or not. The one question does remain for those in Sedgwick County, why loose money spent on casinos to another state due to the lack of understanding what really can happen with it?