Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell Says Riverside Folds on Cedar Crossing Lawsuit
Posted on: July 23, 2025, 04:32h.
Last updated on: July 23, 2025, 10:01h.
- Cedar Crossing Casino is a go in Iowa’s Cedar Rapids
- Elite Casino Resorts has dropped its legal challenge of the development
- The project is a $275 million investment
Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell broke the news on Tuesday that Elite Casino Resorts and the company’s Riverside Casino & Golf Resort have decided not to further contest the authorization of a commercial casino in Cedar Rapids.
O’Donnell, a former news anchor who was elected mayor of Iowa’s second-most-populated city in 2021, shared the news on her Facebook page.
“Full steam ahead at Cedar Crossing Casino! With no appeal filed by Riverside, it’s official: we’re going vertical in Cedar Rapids,” the longtime supporter of the casino development posted.
This transformational project is moving forward — bringing jobs, entertainment, and new energy to our beautiful riverfront,” O’Donnell added.
Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center is a $275 million initiative that will redevelop 25 acres of city-owned land northwest of the city center across the Cedar River. The property, located just north of Interstate 380, has sat vacant since the 2008 flood.
The blueprint calls for 700 slot machines, 22 table games, a sportsbook, three restaurants, a 1,500-seat entertainment venue, an arts and cultural center, and a STEM lab.
Cedar Rapids Casino Backstory
In February, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) voted 4-1 in favor of Cedar Crossing. The state gaming regulatory agency regained powers to issue additional gaming concessions following a two-year moratorium imposed by the Iowa Legislature that concluded July 1, 2024.
The Cedar Rapids Development Group (CRDG) has been trying to field a state-issued gaming license for more than a dozen years. The IRGC and state lawmakers had repeatedly pushed back on allowing a casino in Cedar Rapids on concerns that Iowa’s gaming market had reached a saturation point.
As the years turned and new members arrived at the IRGC, the tide finally switched in Cedar Rapids’ favor. Two impact studies commissioned by the IRGC concluded that Riverside — 35 air miles south of Cedar Rapids — would be most negatively impacted.
Riverside and its parent entity, Elite, subsequently filed a lawsuit against the IRGC challenging the validity of the 2021 gaming referendum that Linn County voters passed. The plaintiffs argued that the local ballot question, which asked voters if the “operation of gambling games … may continue,” did not authorize new forms of gambling but only current games. Since no casino in Linn County was operating in 2021, Riverside attorneys argued the referendum essentially extended nothing.
State courts disagreed. With Riverside/Elite not appealing, Eighth Judicial District Judge Michael Schilling’s June ruling that the referendum was just, Cedar Crossing, which has pledged to direct a state-high 8% of its annual gross gaming to charity, can move forward in earnest. Peninsula Pacific Entertainment will run the casino once it’s ready.
Riverside Downturn
Proponents of Cedar Crossing maintained that Riverside was simply trying to protect its turf and keep competition at bay. Riverside has plenty of critics, many of whom say the casino has gone downhill.
Casino.org has heard from many Iowans who believe Riverside is a shell of what it once was.
Riverside has been fat and lazy for far too long, just like any semi-monopoly that doesn’t really have to compete for business,” read one comment on our coverage. “They’ve been open almost 20 years. They have more than made back their investment. Maybe now they will up their game.”
“If Riverside would put this effort into attracting customers instead of fighting competitors, maybe they wouldn’t lose revenue,” said another.
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