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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Cedar Rapids could be closer to landing a casino.
Iowa’s two year moratorium on new gaming licenses expires June 30, and on Wednesday two organizations announced they intend to immediately apply for a license.
The city of Cedar Rapids has already set aside land along the west side of the Cedar River for what would be a major development.
“That strip along First Street will be an incredible entertainment destination,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell.
The Linn County Gaming Association and Peninsula Pacific Entertainment said they will put in an application together for the Cedar Crossing casino.
“This is not a done deal. This is just an encouraging step that now allows us to apply,” said O’Donnell.
Even just getting to this point has been a long and winding road…
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) rejected proposals for a casino in Linn County in 2014 and 2017.
This, even as Linn County voters have approved gambling twice. They voted in favor of allowing gambling in the county back in 2013.
“The way the process works is that if a gaming license is not issued in eight years after a past vote, you have to vote again,” said Anne Parmley, Board President of the Linn County Gaming Association.
So voters approved gaming again in 2021. Per state code, the authorization to operate gambling in a county becomes permanent if approved twice by voters in the county in two successive tries. That means Linn County voters won’t have to chime in again.
Then in 2022, Governor Reynolds signed that two year moratorium.
“While we would have liked this to have happened a long time ago, time hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing. We have had an opportunity as a city to make sure that we’re prepared,” said O’Donnell.
She added Cedar Crossing could have a major impact on the city.
“Tremendous economic development, not just from the standpoint of getting the casino up and running and the jobs that that would create, but the hundreds of jobs that an entertainment facility like that creates just by being in existence.”
The casino is expected to produce hundreds of jobs, an expected increase in tourism dollars, and millions of dollars for local nonprofits. If granted a license, Cedar Crossing plans to contribute 8% of its annual gaming revenue to local nonprofits, more than the 3% required by the state.
Finally, the city would not provide any tax-payer-funded incentive for this project.
But again, right now, this is all a maybe.
“Our next steps will be to attend the July 8 meeting of the IRGC and find out, you know, what we need to do in order to hopefully get a casino here once and for all,” said O’Donnell.
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

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