A proposal aimed at halting the construction of new casinos in Iowa for the next several years is anticipated to be introduced early in the upcoming legislative session, commencing on Monday.
House Representative Bobby Kaufmann (R-Wilton) informed Iowa’s News Now that the new legislation will resemble the bill he proposed last year, which passed the House but stalled when the Senate did not take action on it. That would have stopped any new casinos from being established until 2029.
Although the bill referred to casinos in the plural, its main aim is to prevent Cedar Rapids, the second largest city in Iowa, from seeking a casino license.
The Cedar Rapids City Council and Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell (R) are optimistic that the state will grant a license to the Cedar Rapids Development Group, a group of local entrepreneurs looking to construct a $275 million gaming venue, the Cedar Crossing Casino, on city-owned land. State gaming regulators are set to cast their votes on the issue on February 6.
Iowa’s gaming sector is against a Cedar Rapids casino, claiming the market is saturated since Nebraska has approved gaming and that new developments would undermine the earnings of current casinos.
Kaufmann, representing the district that encompasses the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, located a 30-minute drive south of Cedar Rapids, has contended that Cedar Crossing would endanger the jobs of his constituents.
Recent research suggests that a Cedar Rapids casino could produce $80 million in additional taxes, while redirecting approximately $68 million from casinos in Riverside, Waterloo, and Dubuque.
Cedar Rapids residents have voted on a referendum endorsing casino gaming in Linn County twice, the latest being in 2021, and the supporters of the casino feel that the state legislature ought to respect local consensus.
"The residents of Linn County have spoken twice now about their desire to have that casino within Linn County in Cedar Rapids and the legislature should stay, stay out of it and let the process that is the law currently take place,” said Rep. Jeff Cooling (D – Cedar Rapids).
A recent survey conducted by the anti-casino organization, Iowans for Common Sense, asserts that two-thirds of residents across the state oppose the expansion of casinos.
In the meantime, with under six weeks remaining before state regulators decide on the license, urgency is crucial for Kaufmann’s moratorium. The legislator informed Iowa’s News Now that he anticipates the bill will progress through committees by the second week of the session.
Similar to last year, the backing for the bill is varied, though Kaufmann indicates it’s increasing.
