An application for a casino to be established in Linn County has been submitted and the public comment period is open. The application is for a casino to be constructed in Cedar Rapids less than 40 miles from the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort.
Washington Economic Development Group Director Mary Audia states that the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort and the connected Washington County Riverboat Foundation impact the area economy, “Economic development-wise, like I said, a lot of the amenities that we have here currently we probably wouldn’t have had without our casino. And then the more amenities we have here, the more people that are drawn to our region. It just makes a huge difference for families to relocate here. You know, they’ll come and look and they’ll go, ‘Wow! You know, you’ve got a great library or a great, you know, Y.’ Or, you know, it just makes a big difference in I think the draw of people coming to this area. Also, the casino is one of our larger employers in our county. And so a lot of people make a living at the casino.”
A public comment meeting was held in November. The Riverside Casino and Golf Resort, LLC and Washington County Riverboat Foundation, Inc. filed a petition for declaratory order with the commission in November and a petition for intervention in December.
The WCRF has disbursed $54,062,926 in competitive grants across the region, in addition to awarding $70,380,749 in municipal grants to the cities of Washington County since 2006.
Audia stated there are concerns locally of potential market saturation if the application is approved. According to a market feasibility study and competitive impact analysis done by Meister Economic Consulting for Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel in October, “The results of our modeling and associated analyses show that the Proposed Cedar Rapids Casino will likely generate more of its revenue from a redistribution of gaming revenue in the market rather than an expansion of the total market size, leading to significantly intensified competition among regional casinos.”
Next steps in the process include market studies due to the commission office by December 30th, a public presentation of the market studies on January 23rd, and the commission will vote on the casino application on February 6th. The public may submit written comments any time prior to the commission decision on February 6th by sending an email to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission at irgc@iowa.gov.
For the full application information visit the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission website.
The public may submit written comments any time prior to the Commission decision date of February, 6 2025.
For written comments, please include your full name, if you represent a group or business, and your city and state of residence.
Via email at: irgc@iowa.gov
Via standard mail at:
Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission
6200 Park Ave., Ste 100
Des Moines, IA 50321