The official opening of Phil Ruffin’s $128m historic horse racing (HHR) casino, called Golden Circle, at the Wichita Greyhound Park will take longer than originally anticipated.
Reason for opening date change:
The new selected opening date for the 3-story establishment is September 2025, according to information a Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission (KRGC) official told state lawmakers throughout the March 20 committee meeting. In addition, at the time the Wichita-born-and-raised casino mogul officially won a three-way bid, receiving the state’s sole license to manage HHR machines in July 2023, the selected opening date of the Golden Circle casino was September of this year.
The main reason for the opening date change is construction postponements caused by the problems with the elevator in the section of the building that will be conserved throughout the refurbishment, according to information Randy Evans, the Government Relations Manager of KRGC told The Wichita Eagle.
Speaking on the subject, Evans commented: “The elevator shaft had some issues, and so they had to totally redo that. They couldn’t use the existing one. Nothing really out of the ordinary or sinister — it was just normal construction that got pushed back.”
Furthermore, bulldozing work on the structure close to 77th Street North and Hydraulic in Park City is almost finished. Additionally, excavation to extend the structure on the north side is currently in progress, in accordance with the update provided at the meeting of the KRGC held previous week.
Groundwork was also laid for Gilley’s Dance Hall and Saloon, a large country music bar. Relatedly, Ruffin Industries spokespeople refused to provide a comment regarding the topic on the afternoon of March 21 . Also, no contact information is publicly available for Golden Circle, according to The Wichita Eagle.
Layout of the Golden Circle casino:
When it opens its doors to the public, Golden Circle casino will officially manage 1,000 HHR machines, which are similar to slot machines and permit players to choose horses from races that have already taken place, based on their past racing records. Additionally, it will involve a simulcasting establishment where players may put their wagers on live horse races held in entirely different states.
On the related note, the HHR casino will also offer an entertainment amphitheater, rooftop patio, smoothie bar, Gilley’s, deli and pizza by the slice, KRGC director of administration, finance and audit Brandi White said to the legislators.
Among Ruffin’s plans is the construction of a 96-room name-brand hotel as soon as the refurbishment of the casino is finished.
Golden Circle is currently in the midst of narrowing down candidates for the position of the general manager, according to White. Beside that, it is also in the middle of the process of choosing a vendor for its HHR machines.
On that note, White commented: “Once that happens, they will be tested by one of our gaming laboratories, and KRGC will do the appropriate back-grounding of the companies and certify accordingly.”