Plans for the construction of a new Las Vegas-style casino in the state of Kansas were announced on Monday, November 24. The new Castle Rock Casino Resort is to be located in Cherokee County and to become the fourth gambling facility within the territory of the state.
As stated, the new casino is planned to be situated north of I-44 and right on US400. Its potential location points to the fact that it is intended to allure visitors from Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. And speaking of Oklahoma, the venue is to be built not farm from the Downstream Casino.
Brandon Steven, one of the partners working on the project, shared on a press conference on Monday that Southeast Kansas was given the unique opportunity to be provided with one of the most luxurious casino facilities in North America.
Prominent business persons from Wichita had expressed their interest in the ambitious project. The names of some of those are Rodney and Brandon Steven, Dave Burke, Dave Wells, W. G. Farha II, and Mike Vess.
Dave Wells commented on the new venture as a means for investors to invest money in the construction of new gambling venues that will attract more people from neighboring states who will spend their money in Kansas.
Saverio “Sal” Scheri, president and CEO of WhiteSand Gaming, stated that the location of the Castle Rock Casino Resort will immediately turn it into direct competition to Oklahoma-based gambling venues. He also shared that the project will cost its investors more than $130 million. What is more, it is larger in scale than any other casino that is to be built in the region.
The new venue is to offer an excellent hotel with a total of 200 rooms. In addition, there will be several restaurants and bars. A large meeting space will also be available, perfect for both small assemblies and bigger conferences.
Sheri announced that their goal was not to build an ordinary casino, but an excellent all-purpose complex.
A large entertainment arena will also be featured. It will seat between 5,000 and 6,000 people and will host concerts and a wide variety of other public events. It will also be accommodating a professional hockey franchise.
Investors promised that Castle Rock Casino Resort might create up to 1,000 permanent jobs as well as up to 350 temporary construction jobs. It was also estimated that the venue can take one year to be completed.
In addition, it was stated that the new casino might generate $20 million for the state of Kansas. What is more, $3.5 million in local turnover might also be acquired.
Jeremy Hill from the Wichita State University commented on the advantages and disadvantages of the construction of a new casino in Kansas. He stated that this will definitely boost the state’s finances and new jobs will be created.
Yet, according to him, when it comes to gambling, addiction issues inevitably become a hot topic. And these issues usually lead to bankruptcies and suicides, the number of which imminently increases when money loss is involved.
Brandon Steven stated that their venture is what the state of Kansas needs. According to him, their plan will be executed by the best team that has experience enough to ensure the success of Castle Rock.
