Key points:
- The previous moratorium expired last summer
- House members passed the ban by a 68-31 vote
Iowa’s House of Representatives has passed a bill that would invoke a ban on new casino projects for the next five years, according to a KTIV local news report.
Senate File 76 includes a moratorium on issuing new licenses until 2030, the local report said. The bill would also limit the number of gambling licenses that the state issues to 19.
House members approved the ban by a vote of 68-31.
The legislation was brought to the Iowa General Assembly by the Committee on Ways and Means.
According to the local report, the Senate Local Government Subcommittee recently passed moratorium legislation. The Senate Local Government Committee followed suit a few hours later.
Good to know: Until recently, the state had a two-year moratorium in place on new gaming licenses
However, the previous moratorium expired in July.
If the bill becomes law, it will halt plans to build a new casino in Cedar Rapids.
The estimated $275m casino development project was pitched by the Linn County Gaming Association and its partner Peninsula Pacific Entertainment.
The completed destination would be home to a casino with 700 slot machines and 22 table games. The site would also feature a 1,500-seat entertainment venue, several restaurants, bars and an arts and cultural center.
Linn County voted to approve casino expansion more than 10 years ago, setting up Cedar Rapids for the possibility of a third casino.
After legislation was passed in 2013, Cedar Rapids applied for a casino license. Its application was denied by the state’s Racing and Gaming Commission.
But, that did not stop the city from filing again in 2017. However, the state regulator once again denied Cedar Rapid’s application.
Two years ago, Cedar Rapids tried again, this time pitching a proposal for a $250m gaming facility that would sit across the river.
