• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / Racing and Gaming chair says they’ll look at Linn and other counties for possible new license

Racing and Gaming chair says they’ll look at Linn and other counties for possible new license

March 7, 2013 By Dar Danielson

Jeff Lamberti

Jeff Lamberti

The chair of the group that regulates casino gambling in the state said today they are obligated to take a look at a proposal for a new casino in Cedar Rapids once it is submitted.

Linn County voters approved a referendum Tuesday — with 61-percent of the voters saying yes — and developers had said they want to build a casino along the interstate downtown.

Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission chair, Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny, deferred comment on the possibility of new casino earlier this year — saying he wanted to wait until a referendum was passed.

“What happens now that a referendum has been approved, they will need to submit a formal proposal to us. Because, before they submit that we really don’t have what the proposal is, the specifics of it, the location the size, those kinds of things,” Lamberti said. “When we actually have a proposal, an application before us, that’s when the commission can really start our work.”

Lamberti said they are anticipating receiving a proposal from the Cedar Rapids group, and then they will start doing some research. “We’ve got to study it relative to our criteria about issuing a license, and certainly one of those is the impact on our existing facilities. So, at a minimum we are going to feel obligated to do that,” Lamberti said.

He said they will fully study all those issues surrounding the Linn County casino before making any decision on a new license. Lamberti said he thinks they will also have a discussion on whether they should expand their study on a new casino to other parts of the state.

“Central Iowa, because the discussions in Warren County, who knows possibly in the Fort Dodge area, some of the other areas,” Lamberti said. “That’ll be a discussion the commission will have, but kind of the triggering event if for us to have an application before us so that we can commence those studies.”

A Warren County development group announced plans in February for a casino that would be built in the northwest corner of the county. That group is collecting signatures and hopes to have a gambling referendum on May seventh. Developers in Fort Dodge were turned down the last time the Racing and Gaming Commission took proposals for a gambling license.

The commission decided to approve just one license for Lyon County in far northwest Iowa, and the Grand Falls casino opened there 22 months ago.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Recreation / Entertainment, Top Story Tagged With: Racing and Gaming Commission

Featured Stories

Reynolds signs her ‘school choice’ bill into law

Governor Reynolds touts 2024 Iowa Caucuses in Inaugural Address

University of Iowa grad presiding over U.S. House Speaker vote

Iowan who was oldest person in the U.S. dies

Iowa Lottery to start making some payments via debit cards

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa State names new receivers coach

No. 2 Iowa visits No. 1 Penn State in wrestling dual Friday night

Iowa’s Clark brings increased exposure to women’s basketball

No. 18 Iowa State women visit TCU

Northern Iowa men host Valparaiso

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC