Cedar Rapids Casino Blocker Bill Expected Next Week

A legislative proposal aimed at prohibiting the construction of new casinos in Iowa for the next several years is anticipated to be introduced at the beginning of the new session that commences on Monday. 

House Representative Bobby Kaufmann (R-Wilton) informed Iowa’s News Now that the new legislation will resemble the bill he presented last year, which passed in the House but stalled when the Senate did not take action on it. That would have halted the establishment of any new casinos until 2029. 

Although the bill referred to casinos in the plural form, its main aim is to prevent Cedar Rapids, Iowa's second-largest city, from seeking a casino license. 

Cedar Crossing Gambling Establishment 

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 aiming to construct a $275 million gaming facility, the Cedar Crossing Casino, on city-owned property. State gaming regulators are set to cast their votes on the issue on February 6. 

Iowa's gaming sector is against a casino in Cedar Rapids, claiming that the market is already saturated due to Nebraska legalizing gaming and that new expansion would drain profits from current casinos. 

Kaufmann, representing the area that encompasses the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, located half an hour south of Cedar Rapids, has contended that Cedar Crossing could endanger jobs for his constituents. 

Recent research suggests that a casino in Cedar Rapids could produce $80 million in additional taxes, although it would redirect approximately $68 million from casinos in Riverside, Waterloo, and Dubuque. 

Community Assistance 

Residents of Cedar Rapids have voted twice on a referendum backing casino gaming in Linn County, most recently in 2021, and supporters of the casino argue that the state legislature should not meddle with local agreement.

"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 casino opposition organization, Iowans for Common Sense, indicates that two-thirds of residents across the state oppose casino expansion. 

In the meantime, with under six weeks remaining until state officials decide on the license, urgency is crucial for Kaufmann’s moratorium. The legislator informed Iowa’s News Now that he thinks 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 claims it’s increasing.