Casino, slots go down to defeat; dog track to close in 90 days
Eagle staff

Sedgwick County voters decided today against allowing either a resort casino in the county or adding slot machines to Wichita Greyhound Park.

With 43 percent of registered voters casting a ballot, the issue of allowing a casino in the county failed 43 percent to 56 percent.

Phil Ruffin, owner of the Wichita Greyhound Park, stood up before the crowd at the park and said, "Sorry folks, we gave it everything we had."

He said he plans to close the park in 90 days. The park has been losing $200,000 a month and he was counting on the addition of slot machines to make it profitable.

About 250 jobs will be lost.

He credited educating voters for the success in defeating expanded gambling. In a separate issue on slot machines failed by 343 votes out of more than 100,000 ballots cast. Provisional ballots remained to be counted, but the tally was not expected to sway the final count.