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On Thursday, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) approved an application for a gaming license for the proposed Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center. That approval clears the way for a gaming facility in the state’s second-most populous city, Cedar Rapids.
Cedar Crossing has had its detractors, including members of the Iowa Gaming Association. At that group’s urging, the Iowa House of Representatives passed a casino license moratorium bill late in January. Thursday’s vote to approve the license might have gone more to their satisfaction if the Iowa Senate had concurred with the House.
Instead, Senators quickly shot down the moratorium bill, signaling their support for the Cedar Rapids project.
IRGC gives nod to 20th casino
According to KCRG, the IRGC’s vote on Feb. 6 drew support from local leaders and ended an 11-year effort to secure a license in Linn County. Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center will occupy a riverfront tract in Cedar Rapids and an official timeline for its opening is still pending.
Developers have pledged to spend $275 million on the mixed-use facility, including dedicated venues for non-gaming entertainment. Public details on gaming opportunities at the casino have been scant.
When open, it will be Iowa’s 20th casino, a high concentration for a mostly rural population of a little more than three million people. Cedar Rapids lies about 30 miles north of Riverside, home to Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.
That proximity to Riverside and other existing gaming facilities is part of the reason for prior opposition to the proposal that will now move forward.
Gaming association’s opposition centered on cannibalization
In November 2024, Iowa Gaming Association President Wes Ehrecke told PlayUSA that the organization’s members are united in opposition to new gaming licenses in the state. At the center of that animosity is a concern about new facilities taking revenue away from existing licensees.
The Iowa Gaming Association was joined in its stance by activist groups which ran ads calling for a ban on new gaming licenses in Iowa. There was significant momentum toward that end in Des Moines until Feb. 4.
Senate leadership stymies moratorium bill
When the 2025 legislative session opened, Rep. Bobby Kaufmann filed a bill to establish a moratorium on new gaming licensees through 2030. The legislation got strong support from Kaufmann’s House colleagues and a companion bill in the Iowa Senate was recommended for approval.
However, that momentum came to an abrupt halt on Feb. 4. According to Marissa Payne of the Des Moines Register, Senate leadership shared that they would not bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Payne reports that Iowa Senate President Amy Sinclair shared that the bill lacks requisite support in the chamber for passage.
Although the IRGC could have proceeded with Thursday’s vote if Kaufmann’s bill was still pending, uncertainty might have affected the vote. Kaufmann’s proposal was retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025, so it would have nullified the license for Cedar Crossing upon enactment.
With these events having played out, the only recourse for opponents is to seek the intervention of courts in the state. Barring successful efforts there, Iowa’s casino tally will expand to 20.
