Let the City Have Its Day [OPINION]

I’ll admit it. I’m not much of a gambler. Not to say I haven’t done my fair share in the past. I’ve visited all of the casinos within driving distance of my home in Marion several times in the past. But currently, casinos aren’t where I choose to put my discretionary income. Would that change if there was a new casino in downtown Cedar Rapids? Perhaps. A lot of discussion has gone on this cycle about whether or not Cedar Rapids deserves a casino. Their ultimate fate lies with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission next week. That is until the state of Iowa got involved.

CBS2 reports that the Iowa House has passed a 5-year moratorium on new casino licenses in the state of Iowa. The state government is looking to swoop in ahead of the IRGC and their vote and end Cedar Rapids’ chances before they even get started. The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate and would still need the signature of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. Reynolds has signed the last two, two-year moratoriums on casino licenses in the state. I’m not going to come down on one side or the other as far as my support for a casino is concerned. What I am going to question is the efforts of the Iowa Legislature.

Studies have been done that show that if Cedar Rapids gets a casino, the other gambling sites nearby will lose tens of millions of dollars. I understand the state of Iowa wanting to protect those facilities. But isn’t that already the job of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission? Why do we even have that group if the state of Iowa feels like they can swoop in and make their decision next week pointless?

Let the city of Cedar Rapids have its day in front of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. If the danger to other casinos in Iowa is real, they should vote against giving Cedar Rapids a license. If they feel there is enough room for one more facility, say hello to Cedar Crossing. Seems reasonable to me. But then again I don’t work in state government.