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Racing and Gaming Commission seeks modest adjustment; $100,000 HHR law-enforcement request removed from committee bill
Summary
The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission requested modest increases to its FY2026 budget and a $100,000 supplemental for the Park City historical-horse-racing facility; the special budget committee's introduced bill does not include that $100,000 request.
The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission presented a budget update to the Committee on General Government Budget that includes a small revised estimate increase and a supplemental request tied to the historical horse racing (HHR) pari-mutuel facility in Park City.
Molly Pratt, fiscal analyst, said the KRGC's FY2026 revised estimate includes an additional $378,396 for a total near $13.4 million and that the agency submitted a $100,000 supplemental request from the state racing fund to cover items related to the new Park City pari-mutuel facility. The agency proposed purchases that would aid onsite regulation: fingerprinting equipment, new radios to coordinate with local law enforcement, an expanded licensing database and limited furniture and computer equipment for staff who will be located at the facility.
Pratt confirmed the budget committee removed the $100,000 HHR law-enforcement items from the special budget committee's introduced bill "due to the motions made during the interim," and she noted the removal was not a policy judgment about historical horse racing itself.
She also told members the KRGC seeks pay parity for enforcement agents at the HHR facility, increasing hourly pay from about $26.98 to approximately $31.00 to align with other enforcement agents, and the agency's FY2026 estimate reflects a reduction of one FTE due to an unfilled retirement vacancy.
Committee members asked staff to provide consensus revenue-estimating group predictions and a five- to ten-year revenue history for the state's four casinos so they can assess trends and competitive pressures; members also requested details on how KRGC funding is established by each casino.
