The association that represents Iowa’s casino industry is questioning the reasoning behind a state commission’s decision to approve construction of a casino complex in Cedar Rapids.
The Iowa Gaming Association’s written statement suggests a Cedar Rapids casino will “significantly destabilize” the Eastern Iowa gaming market. The group expresses “concern” over Thursday’s Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s decision to issue a new casino license in Linn County.
The Gaming Association continues to support action in the legislature that would impose a moratorium on new casino licenses. Last week, the Iowa House, by a large margin, approved a five-year-long block on new casinos. It was triggered to take effect January 1st of this year. That means it could nullify the casino license awarded to Cedar Rapids if the Senate were to pass the bill and the governor were to sign it. A top Senate Republican announced Wednesday night there was not enough support among Senate Republicans for that bill and it will not be considered for the rest of the year.
There are currently 19 state-licensed casinos in Iowa. Developers of Cedar Crossing in Cedar Rapids say they hope to open the state’s next casino on New Year’s Eve of 2026.