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Most Iowa casinos have a nonprofit attached somewhere, usually collecting a cut from the company that runs the property. Q Casino + Resort in Dubuque flips that arrangement: The nonprofit runs the casino itself.
The Dubuque Racing Association, known as the DRA, owns and operates Q Casino + Resort. This year, that structure produced a record grant cycle: more than $1.5 million for 64 organizations through its Core Grant program and three more through its Mission Grant program.
President and CEO Anthony Williams told PlayUSA what the ownership model means for Dubuque.
A casino that belongs to Dubuque
Williams said the structure shapes where every dollar goes after the electric bill and payroll are covered. “Because the DRA owns and operates Q Casino + Resort, our success is never just ours to keep. It literally belongs to the community we serve,” he said. “Charitable giving isn’t just a line item or PR exercise. It’s literally written into our bylaws.”
That bylaw language translates into a fixed formula for giving back to the community.
“After operating expenses, the DRA distributes 100% of remaining proceeds back to the community through a defined formula: roughly a third to charitable giving, a third to the City of Dubuque, and a third to reinvestment in infrastructure and amenities on Schmitt Island,” Williams said. He pointed to the Key Hotel, Lock 11 restaurant and Back Waters amphitheater as direct results.
For a casino owned by the community it serves, that structure also raises the stakes on responsible gambling, a priority every operator, nonprofit or not, is expected to take seriously.
From greyhound track to entertainment district
The DRA was founded in 1985 to drive economic growth in Dubuque, originally through Greyhound racing, which ended in 2022 after 37 years. Williams said the mission never changed, even as the amenities did.
“DRA was established in 1985 to drive economic growth and reinvest in the Dubuque community. While the amenities we offer have evolved over time and shifted with consumer preferences, our core commitments have never wavered,” he said.
That evolution is visible across Schmitt Island.
“In recent years, we’ve invested substantial time, resources, and care into ensuring Schmitt Island offers something for everyone. Now, in addition to the gaming floor, we offer all-ages entertainment at Island social, two hotels, fine-dining, meeting and event space, and an outdoor amphitheater,” Williams said.
Where this year’s $1.5 million went
Demand for the DRA’s grant money far outpaces what it can give out.
“This year the DRA reviewed 152 Core Grant applications requesting more than $7.59 million. That tells you a lot about both the need and the ambition in this community,” Williams said. “We were proud to award $1,261,154.50 to 64 organizations, as well as another $250,000 to critical regional projects through our Mission Grant program.”
He tied the growing grant pool directly to the ownership model. “Our unique structure makes these investments possible, and our drive to grow our amenities ensures we can continue to do more each year,” he said.
How the DRA picks grant winners
Every application is measured against a single internal standard the DRA calls People Attraction. “That means helping this region grow its population, keep the people who already live here, and bring in visitors. It ties directly to the DRA’s mission of community betterment while easing the burden on the City of Dubuque and surrounding governments,” Williams said.
Grant applications go through two committees before reaching the board.
“Both our Core Grant Committee and our Mission Grant Committee review all applications. Each application is scored within our grant software on how well it advances People Attraction, the need behind the project, partnerships and collaboration, the organization’s readiness to deliver, financial feasibility, and how success will be measured,” he said. “Once the reviews are complete, we pull all of that information together, and the committees make their recommendations to the full DRA Board of Directors.”
The DRA is also looking beyond one-time purchases. “For most of its history, the DRA mainly funded material items. Since 2022, we’ve put real emphasis on capacity building: strategic planning, stronger systems, marketing and fundraising tools, and staff training. Those are the things that help an organization keep growing long after the grant dollars are spent,” Williams said.
Recipients span a wide range, he added: “animal welfare, arts and recreation, education, emergency services, health and human services, veterans groups and local governments, across Dubuque and its neighboring counties in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.”
Four decades, $67.4 million in giving
Williams measures the DRA’s impact in decades instead of grant cycles. “Dubuque has changed a lot in 40 years, and I’m extremely proud of the role the DRA has been able to play in that growth. Since 1985, the DRA has made $67.4 million in total charitable distributions, and total tri-state economic impact has surpassed $1.18 billion,” he said.
Asked for one project that stands out, he pointed to a tourist site built around a 1989 movie.
“In 1989, ‘Field of Dreams’ was a new movie playing in theaters across the country. Today, the movie site is a major tourist attraction and center for economic activity here in Dubuque County, hosting Major League Baseball games, college baseball games, and youth sports tournaments. The DRA is a proud, long-term supporter of the preservation and expansion of the movie site,” Williams said.
City owns the land, nonprofit runs the casino
The DRA doesn’t own the land Q Casino sits on; the City of Dubuque does. Williams described that relationship as central to everything else.
“Our relationship with the city is the beating heart of our work. They’re passionate [about] our mission, investing in our work, and stand with us as partners,” he said. “Since 1985, the DRA has contributed more than $257 million to the City of Dubuque. In 2025 alone, that was $8,516,225 to the City and $222,855 to Dubuque County.”
One of just two nationwide models
Williams doesn’t think Dubuque’s model is a curiosity. He thinks other communities could copy it.
“This model works, period. The DRA is a model organization for adapting to change and serving a community,” he said. “One big, long-term lesson from the DRA is that when gaming revenue is structured to stay local, it compounds. We’re proving the truth behind the adage, ‘We all do better when we all do better.'”
What comes after a $115 million build-out
The DRA just finished a major construction push. “This past year we delivered The Key Hotel, Lock 11 and Back Waters Amp, part of a $115 million investment in the guest experience. Now we’re building on that. Year Two is defined by our first formal Strategic Plan and the continued build-out of Schmitt Island, moving its long-term development from concept to a disciplined capital plan,” Williams said.
He frames the end goal as something bigger than a casino with extras.
“The vision is a fully integrated destination where gaming, hospitality, entertainment, recreation and community life come together on Schmitt Island, with something for everyone. We’re not a casino with amenities attached. And because of our nonprofit model, as Q grows, so does our capacity to reinvest in the community,” he said.
What Dubuque’s model proves so far
Nonprofit ownership drives every number in this story, from the $1.5 million grant year to the $67.4 million in lifetime giving. Williams is betting the model scales as Schmitt Island grows, and he presents it as a template for other cities with a casino and a community to reinvest in.
Whether other nonprofit-casino hybrids follow Dubuque’s lead is a longer story. For now, the DRA is one of just two organizations in the country using the structure.
