Iowa House passes five-year casino moratorium
House File 144 now heads to the Iowa Senate.
US.- The Iowa House has approved House File 144, which imposes a five-year moratorium on new casino licences. The measure passed with a 68-31 vote and now heads to the Iowa Senate for consideration.
The bill would block the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission from considering a casino licence for Cedar Rapids and would prevent new casino developments until 2029. The Senate has advanced a companion bill, Senate Study Bill 1069, which the Senate Local Government Subcommittee approved on Thursday morning, followed by full committee approval in the afternoon. If the Senate approves the bill, it will head to Gov. Kim Reynolds for final consideration.
The state’s existing casinos support a moratorium. Last April, the Iowa House voted for the measure, but the proposal was not considered by the Iowa Senate.
Boyd Gaming, which owns and operates the Diamond Jo, said a Cedar Rapids casino would “have a negative impact on Dubuque and other markets.” A feasibility study commissioned by the state gaming agency reached a similar conclusion. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is scheduled to vote on the proposed $275m development on February 6.
See also: Iowa casinos and sportsbooks see revenue growth in November
Attempts to bring a casino to Cedar Rapids failed in 2014 and 2017. On both occasions, the IRGC said a new venue would harm other casinos (there are 19 licensed casinos in Iowa). Linn County voters approved a measure in 2021 that allows developers to seek a casino licence for the county in perpetuity.
