October 24, 2025

As many of you know, a new gaming venue, Golden Circle Casino, is due to open in December of this year. With the $140 million renovation of the old Wichita Greyhound Park, the facility will house 1,000 Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines. Unlike a slot machine (that operates of a random number generator) these HHR machines operate off a parimutuel pool allowing the player to make random wagers on historical races that are unable to handicap or know anything about the race that is about to be shown in part. Several states where these machines are operated show they play very similar to a Vegas-style slot machine.​​

This past spring the Governor signed a bill that will direct 3% of every dollar gambled on these machines to the horse racing industry. 2% will go to the Horse Racing Fair Fund that allows smaller tracks to apply for grants to cover operating expenses and purse money. 1% will go to the Kansas Breeders Development Fund that pays out purse supplements for foals born in Kansas and breed awards to mares and stallions. Current projections show these purse supplements for a Kansas Bred race could be as high as $40,000 for a 20 day meet in 2025. 

In addition, the legislature has granted $2 million to the Greenwood County Fair Association to revamp and ready their track in Eureka to be able to conduct live racing there. A general manager has been hired and plans are underway to reconstruct the racetrack surface in preparation for a race meet in 2025. 

This is great news for the racing industry of Kansas, that at one time pumped well over $200 million annually into the state's economy. Time will soon show the benefits of owning a Kansas Bred racehorse.