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Harrah's Provides North Kansas City With an Embarrassment of Riches19 November 2000KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- Nov. 19, 2000 -- As reported by the Kansas City Star: "...The town of slightly more than 4,000 people struck it rich when Harrah's North Kansas City Casino & Hotel opened six years ago. So rich, in fact, the town receives on average $980,000 from Harrah's each month, said City Administrator George DeFrench. "...Some acknowledge that the town's newfound wealth from a riverboat casino might seem offensive to those who see gambling as a tawdry business that harms compulsive gamblers and their families. "...Under state law, every Missouri city with a riverboat casino gets 2 percent of the casino's gross revenue and $1 for every patron. "...Harrah's pays the city about $2 million a year in rent. That money has been allocated to the city's general fund and has helped pay for additional police and fire personnel, said Bruns. "And under a lease agreement with the city, Harrah's has donated at least $100,000 annually to area charities. "Harrah's helped boost the city's fiscal 2000-2001 budget to $53.2 million. By comparison, Gladstone, which has a population of 28,000 -- about seven times larger than North Kansas City -- has a budget of about $20 million. "Last year, North Kansas City spent $21.4 million of its casino money on scores of projects. That spending figure amounts to $5,186 per capita, far more than the other Missouri cities that have riverboat casinos. "....Additionally, interest from the casino revenue is going into an endowment fund that will pay for the continued operation of the community center and library..." |