Bill to Thwart Cedar Rapids Casino Expected to Come This Week

A casino bill in Iowa is expected to come early in the upcoming legislative session. This bill will prevent new casinos from being built for the majority of this decade. The new legislative session begins on Monday. 

Bobby Kaufmann Comments

House Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, said that the legislation he’ll introduce is similar to what he put forth last year. 

That legislation was approved in the House but failed in the Senate because the Senate didn’t act on it. 

With this legislation, no new casinos can be built until 2029. However, the main motivation is to prevent Cedar Rapids from pursuing a license. 

Casino in Cedar Rapids

Tiffany O’Donnell (Republican), the Cedar Rapids City Council and Mayor, hopes the state will give a license to Cedar Rapids Development Group. This group of local businesspeople wants to build a venue valued at $275 million.

It would be called Cedar Crossing Casino, and the city would own it. 

Regulators in the state will vote on this on Feb. 6. 

However, the gaming industry in Iowa appears to oppose a casino in Cedar Rapids, citing saturation due to Nebraska legalizing gambling and cannibalizing casinos in Iowa. 

Kaufmann says that a casino would put his constituents’ jobs in jeopardy. He’s in a district with Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, which is about 30 minutes away from Cedar Rapids. 

Studies show that a casino in Cedar Rapids would generate $80 million in new taxes. However, it would divert about $68 million from casinos in Riverside, Waterloo, and Dubuque. 

Support from Community

Cedar Rapids residents have twice voted on a referendum for gaming in Linn County, the most recent vote coming in 2021. 

“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, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids. 

On the other hand, a poll conducted by Iowans for Common Sense, a casino opposition group, shows that two-thirds of Iowa residents across the state oppose casino expansion. 

Kaufmann’s legislation faces a deadline: the vote is on Feb. 6. He believes it’ll pass through committees within the second week of the session.