After both the Kansas Senate and House of Representatives voted on the resolution, the Senate approved SR 1725, the resolution that would amend the gaming compact with the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation regarding sports betting, with a vote of 27-8 on Friday.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives voted 93-27 to approve its own version of the resolution, HR 6026, to finalize the approval of the agreement by the Legislature. With these approvals in place, Prairie Band Casino & Resort is now highly likely to offer sports wagering by the end of the summer.
The resolution specifies that an enrolled copy of the resolution will be sent to the governor, the secretary of state, and the chairperson of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
The newly amended compact would authorize Prairie Band Casino to offer sports betting both on-site and through app partnerships. However, the app users would be restricted to placing wagers only on the tribe’s reservation.
During Thursday’s meeting, the joint committee unanimously voted to approve the compact amendments.
Zach Pahmahmie, Tribal Counsel Vice Chair, explained in an interview on Thursday: “Our original gaming compacts did not allow the nation or any of the four tribes in Kansas to participate in sports wagering. So, the primary step forward was to change the language in the original compact to allow it.”
Located in Mayetta, Kansas, the Prairie Band Casino & Resort, formerly known as Hurrah’s Prairie Band, is owned and operated by the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation. The property boasts 297 guestrooms, a landscaped courtyard with two hot tubs, an award-winning 18-hole golf course, a gift shop, a convenience/gas store, a 67 pull-through space RV park, and a multipurpose convention center with banquet facilities. Other amenities include three restaurants, a lobby bar, and a coffee bar.
The 35,000 square foot casino at the property features over 1,200 slot machines including video poker, skill-based slots, and high limit slots, as well as more than 30 table games and a 400-seat state-of-the-art bingo hall.
Initially managed by Harrah’s Entertainment under a management agreement with the tribe, the Prairie Band Casino & Resort came under the tribe’s operations on July 1, 2007. The property officially opened in January 1998.
