Kansas casinos working on reopening plans, Gov. slows down restart phases

Gaming revenues from state-owned casinos in Kansas fell to zero for the month of April, as they have been closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

At a Kansas Lottery Commission meeting on Wednesday afternoon, Keith Kocher, director of program assurance and integrity for the Kansas Lottery, said casinos throughout the nation, including Kansas, are working on plans for reopening, Wyandotte Daily reports. Casino gaming revenues for March were only half of what is normal, he said. So far through the year, casino gaming revenues are down 13 percent, he added. 

There is a loss to state and local revenue, as states receive 22 percent of the gaming revenue, and local governments such as the Unified Government receive 3 percent, he added.

In April of 2019, Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City reported casino gaming revenues of $12.3 million, and last month was the first time revenues have totaled zero there. Wyandotte County is in the “red zone” of its reopening plan, and casinos are closed in that stage.

Casinos that are in other areas of Kansas could be under the governor’s reopening plan. The second phase of that plan may start on Monday, May 18, and some casinos were hoping to reopen then. Kocher said he did not have a reopening date for the state’s casinos, and he did not know what Wyandotte County planned to do.

However, Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday posted a news release that stated that she signed a new executive order effective May 18 that adds “phase 1.5” to her reopening plan, slowing the reopening of certain businesses and groups.

The governor’s order applies to much of the rest of Kansas, and not to Wyandotte County, which is under its own reopening plan. Casinos are to remain closed under the governor’s new executive order.

Remaining closed will be nontribal casinos; bars and night clubs, except those already operating under curbside service; theaters, museums and indoor leisure spaces; community centers; outdoor and indoor large entertainment venues holding 2,000 or more; fairs, festivals, carnivals, parades; swimming pools other than backyard pools; organized sports facilities, tournaments, games and practices; and summer camps.

“The good news is that hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths continue to decline, enabling us to move forward with our efforts to safely reopen Kansas,” Gov. Kelly stated in the news release. “Unfortunately, the daily rate of disease spread has not shown the downward trajectory necessary to move fully into Phase 2. I said from the beginning that public safety must remain the top priority, which means that our reopening efforts must be driven by data, not dates. Phase 1.5 will continue our transition, but with necessary caution.”

The Hollywood Casino is not under the governor’s plan. It is in Wyandotte County and is under the ReStart WyCo plan. Entertainment venues, community centers and museums are closed in the “red zone,” and may not reopen until the “yellow zone” in this plan, with no more than 25 percent of the building’s capacity. The “red zone” began May 11, and the county’s situation will be evaluated to see when it will move into the “yellow zone.” Earlier, health officials stated they would consider moving to the “yellow zone” no earlier than two weeks after May 11.

A spokesman for the UG Health Department stated that casinos fell under the “Entertainment Venues” category in the Wyandotte County plan. The casinos could reopen in the “yellow zone” at reduced capacity and with certain safety precautions in place to ensure social distancing, according to the spokesman.

“We are currently in the ‘Red Zone,’ and will remain in the ‘Red Zone’ until at least May 25. As we get closer to that date, our medical officers and the ReStart WyCo Committee will look at the data (COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations) to determine if is safe to change zones or not,” the UG Health Department spokesman stated. “While we all are eager to move forward, in order to protect our community members, we may have to remain in the ‘Red Zone,’ and it is possible we could have to move back to ‘Stay At Home’ if we see an increase in cases.”