An Iowa Senate committee has voted to do away with the requirement that state-licensed casinos that’re not attached to race tracks be positioned over water. The bill cleared the Senate State Government Committee without dissent and with less than 10 minutes of discussion. Senator Jack Kibbie, a Democrat, says eliminating the water requirement is common sense.
"Most people of Iowa wonder why you gotta have water under a land-based casino," Kibbie says. "It just don’t make sense." In 2004, Iowa legislators voted to do away with the requirement that Iowa’s "floating" casinos cruise on a waterway — be it a river or lake.
"At many of these locations, the water a good portion of the year, the water’s not deep enough to sail anyway," Kibbie says. Kibbie is from Emmetsburg which is home to one of Iowa’s newest casinos, sitting on the edge of a 13-acre, man-made lake. Senator Wally Horn, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, was floor manager of the bill back in 1989 that legalized gambling on "excursion boats" and Horn notes how different today’s gaming rules are from those of yesteryear.
"This is another step forward, having Iowa more like Las Vegas, so here we go," Horn says. Horn also wants to allow bars to offer those Iowa Lottery TouchPlay machines again, but Horn says that idea doesn’t have enough support in the legislature to become law.
An Iowa Senate committee has voted to do away with the requirement that state-licensed casinos that’re not attached to race tracks be positioned over water. The bill cleared the Senate State Government Committee without dissent and with less than 10 minutes of discussion. Senator Jack Kibbie, a Democrat, says eliminating the water requirement is common sense.
"Most people of Iowa wonder why you gotta have water under a land-based casino," Kibbie says. "It just don’t make sense." In 2004, Iowa legislators voted to do away with the requirement that Iowa’s "floating" casinos cruise on a waterway — be it a river or lake.
"At many of these locations, the water a good portion of the year, the water’s not deep enough to sail anyway," Kibbie says. Kibbie is from Emmetsburg which is home to one of Iowa’s newest casinos, sitting on the edge of a 13-acre, man-made lake. Senator Wally Horn, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, was floor manager of the bill back in 1989 that legalized gambling on "excursion boats" and Horn notes how different today’s gaming rules are from those of yesteryear.
"This is another step forward, having Iowa more like Las Vegas, so here we go," Horn says. Horn also wants to allow bars to offer those Iowa Lottery TouchPlay machines again, but Horn says that idea doesn’t have enough support in the legislature to become law.