PARK CITY, Kan. (AP) — Construction has begun on a tribal casino near Wichita, despite a lawsuit from the state seeking to stop the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma from operating the casino.
The tribe on Wednesday opened a smaller casino in a trailer while construction continues on the larger, permanent facility, KWCH-TV reported.
The Wyandotte Nation currently can offer only Class 2 gaming devices, such as electronic Bingo games. It hopes to offer slot machines and card games at the larger casino, which is scheduled to be completed early next year.
The state has objected to the project for decades, arguing the tribe doesn’t have the legal authority to build a casino on the 10-acre plot in Park City. In August, it asked a federal court to set aside a decision to allow construction of the casino.
The legal issue centers on whether federal law overrides Kansas’ prohibition on certain types of gaming.
The tribal casino in Park City would be about 30 miles from the Kansas Star casino in Mulvane. Sumner County and the city of Mulvane joined the state in its lawsuit, as did the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska.