Whether hard core gamblers, penny slot players or mere curiosity seekers, people flocked to the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane on its first day open to the public.
More than 600 people were waiting in line outside when the doors opened at 8 a.m. on December 26th. The crowd grew into the thousands as they day went on. At times there was a thirty minute wait to get in as the building continued to operate at capacity throughout the day.
The casino doesn't have official numbers just yet, but we did check with the Kansas Turnpike. There is a new interchange on the turnpike going directly to the casino.
The turnpike says Monday, opening day 9,706 vehicles took the casino exit off of the turnpike. Since the soft opening, more than 21,00 vehicles visited the casino.
The Kansas Star was initially slated to open in February but construction finished early. The gaming takes place in a temporary location the first year. When the permanent gaming area is opened a year from now, the area being used now will become the events and equestrian center. At that time, the number of slot machines will increase from 1311 to 1700, meanwhile the number of table games will double. The third phase, which includes a hotel, is slated to be finished two years from now.
The majority of casino profits go the gaming company, however about a quarter of the money is shared by state and local government.
