The state Racing and Gaming Commission pushed back the deadline today for applications for new gambling licenses. Commission chair, Greg Seyfer of Cedar Rapids, says the extension will give everyone enough time to get things in.
Seyfer says they had some initial meeting with the applicants and discovered the October 1st deadline might be too quick to get the applications together — especially for the financing. So the commission pushed the deadline back to November 9th. The commission indicated today that a second gambling license for Polk County is not likely as the board of Prairie Meadows has said they are not interested.
Seyfer says that’s the decision of the Prairie Meadows board as the commission is not there to promote gambling, their job is to regulate gambling. Dubuque-based Peninsula Gaming which operates the Diamond Jo casinos in Dubuque and Worth County offered a proposal that would link a new casino in Polk County with the Prairie Meadows horse track and casino.
Seyfer says another gambling facility is not possible right now in Polk County without the support of the horse track. He says if Prairie Meadows does not want to proceed, then it would require another referendum to approve gambling, and it would be some time before that could happen.
Seyfer says they have not received any proposals for new licenses yet. The commission met today in Riverside.