‘Urban Cowboy’ nightclub with $128M Golden Circle casino pitched for old greyhound park

Billionaire casino mogul Phil Ruffin wants to build a massive nightclub that will be familiar to fans of the 1980 hit movie “Urban Cowboy,” a film that brought cowboy hats, line dancing, mechanical bulls and pearl-snap shirts to the mainstream.

Gilley’s Dance Hall and Saloon, a replica of the popular Texas honky-tonk featured in “Urban Cowboy,” would open as early as fall 2024 as part of a $128 million Golden Circle casino redevelopment at the defunct Wichita Greyhound Park, which has been closed since 2007 after voters rejected a plan to allow slot machines at the track.

Ruffin also would build a 110-room hotel near the casino and dance hall after renovations were completed.

The plan hinges on a decision expected Thursday from the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission. Ruffin is seeking approval for a license to operate 1,000 historical horse racing machines to make the rest of the project economically viable. Ruffin is the last remaining applicant after one dropped out and another was disqualified.

The Golden Circle, a proposed gaming facility at the Wichita Greyhound Park, would be modeled after Ruffin’s Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, which includes a 14,000-square-foot dance floor, live music, mechanical bulls and multiple bars at Gilley’s Las Vegas.

Wichita’s Gilley’s would be a slightly smaller version, at 12,000 square feet, at a cost of $7 million.

Ruffin’s lawyer, R. Scott Beeler, unveiled the plans to the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission on Tuesday afternoon. He said Ruffin is self-financing the renovations and new buildings.

“Treasure Island in Las Vegas has a Gilley’s in place in the hotel now,” Beeler said. “It is enormously successful, and it is an independent draw in and of itself, which is then combined with the opportunity for the hotel and the opportunity for gaming, all of which are resounding successes.”

He said the dance hall, which would be built adjacent to the Golden Circle, would open at the same time as the casino.

“We are building Gilley’s as part of phase one,” Beeler said. “And we plan to open it along with the underlying gaming facility. Obviously, that means when the entire facility is constructed. That means all the parking has been redone, the bones, the bones of an older structure are still good at the Wichita Greyhound Park, so it’s not a complete tear-down, but it is a complete overhaul of what is already there.”

Under state law, Golden Circle must partner with a nonprofit organization to distribute a small portion of its profits to benefit the community. Ruffin organized GC Charities, a 501(c)3 organization, for that purpose and named former Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell as the chairman.

“When Mr. Ruffin called me and asked me to be a part of this group, I was very humbled and honored and happy to continue doing something I love, making a difference in this community,” Longwell told the commission.

Longwell’s involvement drew questions from commissioners on whether his position is paid or volunteer and whether the board would make decisions regarding who to give money to based on politics.

“At this point, I’m volunteering my time,” Longwell said. “But there hasn’t been any mention of pay to this point, so that’s another part of it. I willfully agreed to do this job, knowing that it may not pay a penny, but we get to give away money to our local community that will directly impact our community and make a difference. To me, that’s worth all the pay in the world.”

Longwell said the charity will not have a political litmus test before giving to other organizations. It’s unclear what percentage of the casino’s revenues will go to the charity. That will be decided later on with the involvement of the gaming commission.

The Wichita Greyhound Park is currently located in unincorporated Sedgwick County. If the gaming commission approves the license, Park City officials have indicated they will annex Golden Circle.