Iowa Gaming Commission Rejects Petition to Halt Cedar Rapids Casino Development
Posted on: February 12, 2025, 08:53h.
Last updated on: February 12, 2025, 09:39h.
- Earlier this month, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approved a $275 million casino in Cedar Rapids
- A petition to halt the project has been dismissed by the gaming regulator
- A court challenge is ongoing
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) has denied a request to pause the approved development of a $275 million casino in Cedar Rapids.
During its Monday meeting, the five-person IRGC unanimously voted against a petition for a declaratory order that would have at least temporarily stopped a planned casino in Cedar Rapids. During its February 6 gathering, the IRGC voted 4-1 in favor of a gaming development with approximately 700 slot machines, 22 live dealer table games, and a sportsbook on 25 acres of city-owned land just west of the Cedar River.
Elite Casino Resorts and its Riverside Casino & Golf Resort allege that the IRGC erred in approving the application for Cedar Rapids. The Cedar Crossing Casino comes from Los Angeles-based Peninsula Pacific Entertainment and 80 local businesspeople in Iowa’s second-most populated city operating as the Cedar Rapids Development Group.
Riverside attorneys argued in their IRGC petition that the 2021 Linn County ballot referendum that purportedly authorized casino gaming within the county’s limits only extended conditions from a 2013 referendum. But, since no casino gambling was occurring inside Linn County in 2021, the question that asked county voters if they supported the “operation of gambling games with no wager or loss limit to continue” extended nothing.
Cedar Rapids Casino Cleared
The five IRGC commissioners decided that, after consulting with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, the 2021 Linn County referendum was justly worded and permanently authorized casino gambling should the commission sign off on a gaming application.
The commissioners are satisfied that we have the authority to move forward,” IRGC Chair Daryl Olsen said.
Olsen added that Elite and Riverside are free to file a petition to stay the license in court. State judges have the power to halt a gaming development should the court conclude that the IRGC didn’t have the lawful authority to issue a license.
Elite has already filed that petition in Washington County District Court. The petition before the IRGC was for emergency relief.
Attorneys with the Cedar Crossing Casino team said a rushed stay wasn’t warranted even if the 2021 referendum was unjust.
Plaintiffs’ claim of the necessity of an ultra-expedited hearing premised upon the construction of the facility is wildly exaggerated and misplaced. While a groundbreaking ceremony did occur, there is a process and timeline to complete the construction,” the response read.
The Cedar Crossing Casino team is targeting an opening on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2026.
Riverside Casino Impact
Elite Casino Resorts certainly has its reasons for contesting the Cedar Rapids casino project.
Two independent market studies commissioned by the IRGC concluded that much of the Cedar Crossing Casino’s gaming revenue will come at the expense of Riverside. The annual gross gaming revenue losses at Riverside could be as much as $34 million.
Riverside’s casino business has been on the rise in recent years.
In the 2024 fiscal year, Riverside’s nearly 900 slots and 39 table games generated GGR of $129.2 million. In 2023, the casino’s GGR totaled $128.4 million. In prepandemic 2019, casino win was $90 million.
Last Comments ( 6 )
This is going to be such an eyesore and a drain on local businesses. Casinos are built with the intention of keeping people in and spending all their money in the casino. Local businesses will suffer. We'll only see a handful of B-list artists since no A-list is going to stop in CR with Minni, Chicago, and KC a short hop away. Cant wait for my tax dollars to go towards an increased police presence in that area either. Yay. So excited.
Competition makes for a better product...they've grown fat and lazy without any and now they need to get back in shape!..
Riverside Casino has a great Buffet..We go there from Des Moines 3-4 times a year
What's wrong with some friendly competition. Riverside getting overpriced.
Riverside seems to be the only opponent to the Cedar Rapids casino. Why is that?
Riverside has a terrible location. You can not see it from the Interstate. It's off the road . Not good. Not built close to a big town. I went there once for lunch and no food was available so I left and have never gone back. I live about 75 miles away in Cedar County which has no gambling.