The Linn County Gaming Association, along with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, have agreed to submit a casino license application once Iowa’s two-moratorium expires, according to a KCRG local news report.
The moratorium will expire at the end of this month. Peninsula Pacifica and Linn County Gaming Association said that they will submit the application together for licensing.
As of now, land near the Cedar River in the Cedar Rapids area has been set aside for a potential casino development project. Linn County voted to approve casino expansion more than a decade ago, setting up Cedar Rapids for the possibility of a third casino.
However, Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell told local news that applying for licensing does not mean that this is “a done deal.”
She shared with local reporters, “That strip along First St. will be an incredible entertainment destination.
“This is not a done deal. This is just an encouraging step that now allows us to apply.”
Cedar Rapids has attempted to bring an additional casino to the city multiple times throughout the years but has faced opposition.
After legislation was passed in 2013, Cedar Rapids applied for a casino license but was denied by the state’s Racing and Gaming Commission.
That did not stop the city from filing again in 2017, however, but the state regulator once again denied Cedar Rapid’s application.
Two years ago, Cedar Rapids tried once again, this time pitching a proposal for a $250m gaming facility that would sit across the river.
During that time, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill that would delay the filing process for new casino licenses for a period of two years. O’Donnell attempted to persuade the governor to veto the bill but was unsuccessful.
