The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has granted a state license for a casino in Cedar Rapids on a four-to-one vote.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has twice before voted down casino license applications from Cedar Rapids and just last week, the Iowa House overwhelmingly voted in favor of a moratorium on new casinos, but the bill was tabled in the senate Wednesday.
During Thursday’s commission meeting at the Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino in Altoona, Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission chairman Daryl Olsen of Audubon said Cedar Crossing is far different from the two previous casino projects the commission rejected in 2014 and 2017 – noting that it will provide amenities, restaurants, a 1500 person venue for entertainment, arts and culture center and a STEM lab.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell:
An attorney for the Riverside casino says a lawsuit will be filed today challenging the commission’s decision. The legal argument? The Linn County gambling referendum approved in 2021 was worded incorrectly and the casino application should not have been considered. Attorney Mark Weinhardt says the commission lacked the authority to make that decision.
The association that represents Iowa’s casino industry is also questioning the reasoning behind a state commission’s decision to approve construction of the new casino complex. The Iowa Gaming Association’s written statement suggests a Cedar Rapids casino will significantly destabilize the Eastern Iowa gaming market. The Gaming Association continues to support action in the legislature that would impose a moratorium on new casino licenses. Last week, the Iowa House, by a large margin, approved a five-year-long block on new casinos. It was triggered to take effect January 1st of this year. That means it could nullify the casino license awarded to Cedar Rapids if the Senate were to pass the bill and the governor were to sign it. A top Senate Republican announced Wednesday night there was not enough support among Senate Republicans for that bill and it will not be considered for the rest of the year.
story courtesy of Radio Iowa; photo courtesy of Cedar Crossing
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