Casino at old Wichita Greyhound Park will open later than planned. Here’s when and why
Phil Ruffin’s plan to turn the old Wichita Greyhound Park into a $128 million historic horse racing casino will take longer than initially expected.
The target date for opening the three-story facility is now September 2025, an official with the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission told state legislators during a committee meeting Wednesday.
When the Wichita billionaire won a three-way bid for the state’s only license to operate historic horse racing machines last July, the target opening date for the Golden Circle casino was September 2024.
Complications with an elevator in a part of the building that will be preserved during the renovation caused construction delays, KRGC Government Relations Manager Randy Evans told The Eagle.
“The elevator shaft had some issues, and so they had to totally redo that,” Evans said. “They couldn’t use the existing one. Nothing really out of the ordinary or sinister — it was just normal construction that got pushed back.”
Demolition efforts at the facility near 77th Street North and Hydraulic in Park City are nearly complete, and excavation for the northside building extension is underway, according to an update given at a KRGC meeting last week. A foundation for Gilley’s Dance Hall and Saloon, a massive country music bar, has also been poured.
Representatives for Ruffin Industries did not respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon. There is no publicly available contact information for Golden Circle.
What to expect
Ruffin’s casino will be allowed to operate 1,000 historic horse racing machines, which resemble slot machines and allow bettors to select horses in previously run races based off their track record.
Golden Circle will also include a simulcasting facility where gamblers can place bets on live horse races happening in different states.
“They’ll also have pizza by the slice, a deli, Gilley’s, a smoothie bar, a rooftop patio, and they intend to open with an entertainment amphitheater,” Brandi White, KRGC’s director of administration, finance and audit, told legislators.
Ruffin also plans to construct a 96-room name-brand hotel once the casino renovation is complete.
White said Golden Circle is in the process of narrowing down candidates for general manager and is also in the process of selecting a vendor for their HHR machines.
“Once that happens, they will be tested by one of our gaming laboratories, and KRGC will do the appropriate backgrounding of the companies and certify accordingly,” White said.