Cedar Rapids Casino Verdict Forthcoming as Riverside Fights Development
Posted on: February 19, 2025, 10:54h.
Last updated on: February 19, 2025, 11:02h.
- A casino in Iowa’s Cedar Rapids was approved earlier this month
- A competitor casino elsewhere in Iowa is fighting the Cedar Rapids development
- State officials believe the Cedar Rapids casino was lawfully approved
The Cedar Rapids casino project greenlit by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) earlier this month continues to face a legal challenge from a would-be competitor.
Attorneys with Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts and the company’s Riverside Casino & Golf Resort contend that the state gaming regulator erred in approving a $275 million casino application for Cedar Rapids called Cedar Crossing. A petition for judicial review filed in Washington County District Court alleges that the IRGC shouldn’t have endorsed the project.
Elite attorneys argue that a 2021 local referendum in Linn County did not authorize casino gambling but only extended conditions of a 2013 referendum outcome. They additionally claim that state gaming regulators didn’t adequately consider the detrimental effects a casino in Cedar Rapids will have on current gaming properties, specifically Riverside.
The complaint says the IRGC is supposed to consider “all the factors it normally does, including but not limited to community support, financing, gaming integrity, and possible detriment to other facilities.”
Court Date Set
The IRGC previously dismissed a similar motion for relief. IRGC Chair Daryl Olsen said the agency’s review, which was done in conjunction with the state attorney general’s staff, concluded that issuing the Cedar Crossing development team a gaming concession was appropriate.
The IRGC wrote in its motion to strike the Elite/Riverside petition that Attorney General Breanna Bird’s office found much of the plaintiffs’ claims to be “factually incorrect.” The agency’s response said the state AG determined that the 2021 Linn County referendum did indeed authorize slot machines, table games, and sports betting, and that the IRGC fairly considered all factors before granting the license.
In another motion to strike, attorneys with the Cedar Rapids Development Group, the development team behind the Cedar Crossing Casino, and its charitable arm, the Linn County Gaming Association, argued that Elite and Riverside are simply fighting competition.
This Affidavit, part of the one-sided record submitted by Riverside, is from an individual with a direct, financial interest in ensuring there are no competing casinos affecting Riverside,” the filing alleged.
This Friday, February 21, both sides of the matter are set to present their arguments before the Washington County District Court.
Riverside Drought?
An independent study commissioned by the IRGC carried out by Marquette Advisors found that a casino in Cedar Rapids would result in a loss of approximately $34 million in Riverside gambling revenue for the fiscal year 2029.
Elite Casino Resort CFO Karlyn Ollendick said that would represent a 26% loss in gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the casino compared to its projected FY2029 revenue of roughly $130.8 million. Riverside in the 2024 fiscal year generated gross gaming revenue of approximately $129.2 million. In the year prior, Riverside GGR totaled $130 million.
The Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center blueprint includes a casino with 700 slots, 22 table games, and a sportsbook. Three restaurants highlighted by Iowa native Zach Johnson’s Clubhouse are additionally planned.
A 1,500-seat concert hall, an arts and cultural center, and a STEM Lab with a dedicated entrance are among what the developers say will benefit the community. The casino will also direct 8% of its gaming proceeds to charity, 5% more than the state-mandated 3%.
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Last Comments ( 14 )
I live in between these two casinos, and am excited about the opening of Cedar Crossing. Riverside has been fat and lazy for too long, just like any semi-monopoly that doesn't really have to compete for business. They've been open almost 20 years and have more than made back their investment and a fair return. Now maybe they will up their game with regards to attracting and retaining customers. Player's Club members used to get a free buffet on their birthday, but no more. It's now $27-$40 for a BUFFET! And the thing is, when someone in my family got their birthday buffet voucher, at least 5-8 of us (big family) would go along, pay full fare for the buffet, and hang around and gamble afterwards. We did that several times a year, and the casino got a great ROI for giving out a free buffet, food that probably would have been thrown out anyway. Duh...get better, Riverside.
Riverside Casino is dead to me. All they do is whine, cry, and try to stop what a majority here In Linn county voted for. On top of that they think that we are stupid and don’t know what we voted for.
Any time you go into a iowa casino all you see is old people gambling away there money 24/7 its kinda sickening actually why are they building in a flood zone without any flood wall built the flood happen in 08 it just goes to show this is all about money and revenue never will I give cedar crossing 1 dollar of my money...
Congratulations CR...the county and surrounding areas benefit...You have been through enough with floods and the deracho..about time something good will happen
Cedar Rapids deserves this opportunity in my opinion. We have been stopped too many times and waited long enough. Just because Riverside complained about being canalized, however he doesn't care that their are two casinos in Dubuque and one of them being his. End of rant.
CR WON THE COMPETITION-FAIR & SQUARE!!! GET OVER IT2nd LARGEST CITY IN IOWA,LETS GOOOO...THE TIME IS NOW,NOW,NOW!!!✌
CR WON THE COMPETITION-FAIR & SQUARE!!! GET OVER IT✌
Stop throwing out this idea of Cannibalization!! I watched the casino growth on the Mississippi gulfcoast from 94 to 2010 and loved having a variety to choose from, never did any of them complain about Cannibalization. In fact, combined, they helped the entire state with donations and tax revenue. Next Riverside will claim to be their own country and want their own government, , stop trying to convince the public to not want another casino, it's petty and ridiculous!! I will start a boycott, try and sue that!!
CR would definitely benefit from the proposed area, and not just those that gamble - several community/family plans for the center take it outside of the gambling community alone. CR being willing to donate 8% instead of the mandated minimum of 3% will benefit the community and its residents even more. I can state unequivocally that we will not be going back to Riverside nor any of its other properties and locations again after the lack of respect towards the voters in the community and the wishes of those voters. Pettiness isn’t a trait that is a favorable one.
I would never return to Riverside casino again after all the petty actions they have pulled. If they do block the CR casino, I think all Cr residents should boycott them. It's funny that maskwaki isn't throwing a hissy fit like Riverside but than again Maskwaki is a whole lot better than Riverside.
No matter what happens with cedar rapids casino, we will never ever go back to riverside casino
If riverside would put its effort into attracting customers instead of fighting with competitors maybe they wouldn't loose revenue.
Please don't stop the cedar crossing casino from being built and don't stop the cedar crossing casino from opening because not every person in cedar rapids can make it up to Riverside casino because everyone here in cedar rapids doesn't have a vehicle to get there so it would be nice for the people in cedar rapids to be able to go somewhere thank you from
Bla bla bla. Sorry Riverside. I'm very proud of our city organizers and our Mayor. Cedar Rapids by-and-large has always drawn the sticky end of the stick with in mind other projects. This jewl box dropped in place kind of dispels that sort of back-water stigma, in my opinion, Cedar Rapids has had for years. I'm impressed. I'm eager. I'm proud.