Penn National Going After Casinos Throughout Kansas

Penn National was one of four groups that expressed interest in having a casino in the south central zone.

Kansas has divided their search for potential casino operators into zones. Penn Gaming has gone ahead and submitted applications in two different zones, and claims they want to win both bids.

Sumner County received an application last month from Penn Gaming for their interest in running a casino in the area. Penn National was one of four groups that expressed interest in having a casino in the south central zone.

Now, Penn has gone ahead with an application for the casino rights in the southeast Kansas zone. They are the only group to submit an application in this zone before the deadline on Thursday.

That does not mean they will automatically get the casino license. They will still have to be approved by the Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board, pass a background check by the Kansas Gaming and Racing Commission, and negotiate a contract with the Lottery Commission.

When speaking about the applications in the two different zones, Penn National spokesman Richard Klemp had this to say, "We could easily accommodate both and there are no plans to pull out. We are fully committed to Cherokee County and hope to be selected in Sumner County."