The state’s race track managers have signed onto a deal that lets the state off the hook for the 128 million dollars in back taxes the state owes the tracks.Now that the agreement with the tracks is final, the Senate will endorse the gambling bill on Monday. The legislation rewrites the tax structure for state-licensed gambling operations. It also lets the state racing and gaming commission consider new riverboat licenses in counties that’ve passed referendums, The House on Thursday voted to forbid a riverboat in downtown Des Moines. The Senate rejected that idea when the gambling bill was debated there on Tuesday, but Senate President Jeff Lamberti, a republican from Ankeny, says the Senate will go along with the downtown Des Moines boat ban. He says other states have designated areas where gaming is not to be allowed so everyone’s decided to go along with the downtown Des Moines ban.
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