KANSAS CITY, Kansas, July 22, 2008 - For its 254 employees, the announcement was a blow. Employees Learned late Tuesday that the Woodlands Race Track, and its proposed slot machines were no more.

"For some people they have to support their families and stuff like that," a Woodlands employee said.

The closure of the facility comes after the track says it couldn't reach an agreement with the state regarding the 1800 slot machines it planned to add as part of a new Kansas law.

"There were a lot of the factors in the deal that were not favorable to the tracks," developer Phil Ruffin said.

Phil Ruffin closed his own dog track in Wichita after residents voted down slots. However, Ruffin says even if slots would have been allowed, it still wouldn't have made much financial sense.

He points to the fact that destination casinos will only have to give 22% of their profits to the state, while dog tracks would have to give 40% of profits. A difference that has hit the industry hard.

"We feel it was structured wrong, and the tracks really didn't have much input on that," Ruffin said.

The lack of input and what track owners call a flaw in the law has shut down the state's last dog track.  In total over the last few years, costing nearly a thousand people their jobs.

"Next year if they can correct the bill so it can become a viable deal, then maybe tracks can reopen," Ruffin said.

The Woodlands will officially close on August 24th. Representatives for the track say they will continue to negotiate with the state, and if an agreement can be reached they would hope to reopen the track.