Fate of Cedar Crossing casino hangs in the balance following Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission meeting | Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KWWL) — Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell calls Thursday’s Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission meeting a win for Linn County, but will it be enough to move the casino project forward?

Mayor O’Donnell said, “The city, alongside P2E and all of our local partners, are leaving it all on the field.” 

Giving it their all in the long fight for the Cedar Rapids Casino. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission deliberated on a petition to block the casino filed in November by Riverside Casino, owned by Dan Kehl.

Mayor O’Donnell said, “I have to ask myself. What is Dan Kehl afraid of? Is he scared of a little competition in Cedar Rapids? I think he is.” 

Not only has Cedar Rapids faced this petition and other casinos against the idea, and now the Iowa legislature has proposed a casino moratorium. If passed before February 6, the Cedar Crossings Casino won’t move forward.

The bill would place a 5-year moratorium, limiting Iowa to 19 casinos.

Mayor O’Donnell elaborated, “This is David and Goliath. I mean everyday, I am dodging, the city is dodging bullets, arrows, and there are a lot of people with a lot of money who don’t want this thing to happen, and the legislature knows that too, and I don’t ever underestimate what the legislature can do on its’ own.”

Mayor O’Donnell believes the legislature could send the bill to the Governor’s desk within two weeks, before the decision to grant Linn County a license.

Todd Bergen, Vice President of the Linn County Gaming Association, hopes the legislature will consider the benefits of a new casino.

Vice President Bergen said, “I would hope that the legislative folks who are looking at the moratorium would take into account, the huge impact in Iowa to have a casino in Cedar Rapids. Positive impact. They explain that Iowa is a mature market, but they also explain that the only way for Iowa to maximize the gaming revenue potential for the state, is to locate a casino in the second largest city in the state, and if you don’t do that, you can’t maximize potential for gambling in Iowa.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission will decide on February 6 whether to grant the license. A subcommittee meeting on the moratorium bill is scheduled for Monday.