Governor Tom Vilsack predicts state gambling regulators will soon act to lift the moratorium on new riverboat licenses in Iowa, but perhaps not at the Racing and Gaming Commission’s meeting on Thursday. Vilsack says he hasn’t had a chance to talk with any of the Commission’s members to find out what they’ll do at their Thursday meeting. But Vilsack says he’s said before and he’ll say it again that he believes the ban on new licenses will be lifted. Vilsack says the Legislature sent a “clear message” it wants the moratorium lifted. The Legislature passed a bill which would allow the state’s dog tracks add table games, for a hefty fee. The new law also outlines the conditions under which new riverboat licenses may be granted. Officials say if the Racing and Gaming Commission does lift its moratorium on new casino boats, it could be years end before a new license would be granted because of all the paperwork and background checks involved.
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