Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission rejects Cedar Rapids casino proposals

DUBUQUE — Three years later, same result.

State regulators called it a difficult decision. They believed a casino would benefit Cedar Rapids. There were high quality applications.

But three and a half years after denying a Cedar Rapids gambling license, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission came to the same conclusion on Thursday: the market is saturated, they said.

“I’m right now not sure adding a new license will help the state in any way. I think it would shift ... our resources (away) from rural areas,” said commission member Carl Heinrich of Council Bluffs. “I don’t think now is the time to change the dynamics of what we are seeing working well.”

The five-member, governor-appointed commission voted 3-2 to deny three applications — Wild Rose Cedar Rapids and two Cedar Crossing concepts — for a downtown Cedar Rapids casino, during a meeting in Dubuque. Heinrich, Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny, and Kristine Kramer of New Hampton, voted against a license. Chairman Richard Arnold, of Russell, and Dolores Mertz, of Algona, voted in favor.

Read more: http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-racing-and-gaming-commission-rejects-cedar-rapids-casino-proposals-20171116