Hollywood Casino drives massive gaming revenue increase for Kansas

• Angela C. Bond
• Cutting the ribbon on Hollywood Casino helped Kansas earn its keep on gaming money.

A gambler’s bad luck and a new casino have caused Kansas’ gaming revenue to surge more than 600 percent over the previous year.

The American Gaming Association’s report on 2012 state-by-state gambling finances shows that spending at Kansas’ three casinos increased six times compared with 2011, making the Sunflower State the nation’s fastest-growing gaming state over the past year.

That’s primarily due to the Hollywood Casino’s having opened in Wyandotte County, and to a full year’s operation from the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane.