A proposal to allow gambling in a central Iowa county has failed. Efforts to bring a multi-million dollar casino to Newton were dealt a fatal blow Tuesday by a near two-to-one margin, as voters in Jasper County said no to allowing casino style gaming.
Regency Development of West Des Moines had proposed pursuing a gambling license for the construction of a casino on land the company already own along Interstate 80, on the southeast side of Newton, directly north of the Iowa Speedway. Sixty-two percent of the voters who cast a ballot yesterday were opposed to a casino in Jasper County.
The vote total was 2,614 to 4,252. Yes votes outnumbered no votes in only three of the county’s 22 precincts. Voter turnout was 26-percent.