Beyond the potential market, Kansas has another advantage. Whoever ends up running the four casinos will have a monopoly in their gambling zone. The law says no other casinos can be built until 2032 and the operators sign 15-year management contracts with the state.

''This is going to be very stable profits and that is a chance they want to take. It is a reason for so many to try to get into Kansas,'' Schwartz said. ''If you don't have competitors in the region, it is that much more stable.''

Doug Lawrence, a gambling consultant and lobbyist who helped craft the law, said another incentive is Kansas casinos will pay 22 percent of revenue to the state compared to other states where it can be as high as 40 percent.

''The state finally understood that a higher tax rate doesn't mean more revenue,'' Lawrence said. ''When you build a larger facility, they will come from farther away to see it.''

He said location is another factor. The casinos in Wyandotte, Sumner and Cherokee counties all will be near heavily traveled interstates and Ford County's will be in Dodge City, a well-known tourist spot because of its Old West heritage.

''It's a perfect storm. Great sites, great tax rates and a certainty of circumstances for the next 15 years,'' said Lawrence, who's representing prospective developers in Ford, Sumner and Wyandotte counties.

Casinos may be in the gambling business, but they don't gamble with their money.

''These companies today are extremely sophisticated,'' said Frank Farhenkopf, American Gaming Association president. ''They are responsible to their shareholders for a fair return on investment. They are followed closely by Wall Street analysts and they just don't do things willy-nilly.''

He said casino operators rely on numerous studies and crunch numbers to help them decide whether a location has potential.

For instance, a 2006 survey by Harrah's Entertainment ranked Kansas among the 31 states generating more than 2 million casino trips throughout the nation the previous year. It also said Kansas was among states with casino gambling participation higher than the national average of 25 percent of adults.

Farhenkopf said Kansas, like Iowa, is a state with light industry and agriculture.

''It has worked out for the companies and worked out for the state and local governments there. You would expect it to be similar in Kansas,'' he said.

The AMA's 2007 survey shows $1.2 billion in gross revenues for the 16 facilities in Iowa and $1.6 billion for neighboring Missouri with 11 casinos, including four in Kansas City, Mo., near Wyandotte County.

Casino operators don't want to appear to be parachuting into Kansas and dropping a casino on some open land. They have developed alliances with Kansans, either in partnerships or hiring them as consultants.

Still, the biggest unknown is whether the law creating casino gambling eventually will be upheld by the courts. A lawsuit filed by the attorney general's office argues it isn't and the question ultimately will be decided by the Kansas Supreme Court.

That's hasn't stopped casino operators from spending money for such things as studies, plans, consultants, attorneys and land options. Even if they don't get a contract, they can use those expenses as a tax deduction.

''It is more likely they would make money on it than they wouldn't, whether they get to build a casino or not,'' Schwartz said.

Or to borrow from casino parlance -- in the end, the house always wins.