The 2025 Iowa legislative session begins on Monday and a key lawmaker plans to propose a moratorium on new casinos in Iowa. Representative Bobby Kaufmann’s bill would ultimately block the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission from considering a casino license application from Cedar Rapids.
On February 6th, state gambling regulators are scheduled to vote on the proposed 275 MILLION dollar casino in northwest Cedar Rapids. Kaufmann says the commission’s rules for evaluating casino license applications are too vague.
The state’s existing casinos support a moratorium — arguing a new casino in Cedar Rapids would draw customers from casinos in Riverside and Waterloo. Last April, the Iowa House overwhelmingly voted for a casino moratorium that would last through 2029, but the proposal was not considered by the Iowa Senate. Kaufmann says there’s growing support for a moratorium.
A previous moratorium on new casinos expired in July and Cedar Rapids quickly launched its third attempt to land a state casino license. Backers of the Cedar Crossing development in Cedar Rapids say the state’s second largest city has the right to compete for a casino without interference from lawmakers. The Riverside Casino has asked the Racing and Gaming Commission to reject the application from Cedar Rapids, arguing a Linn County gambling referendum approved in 2021 was incorrectly worded. Recent studies have found a casino in Cedar Rapids would pay 80 million in new taxes, while diverting about 68 million dollars from casinos in Riverside, Waterloo and Dubuque.
