Iowa gaming agents resist plan to cut their numbers at casinos

A group representing state gaming agents at Iowa casinos is hoping to derail legislation that would reduce their numbers by more than half.

However, they'll have to act quickly because lawmakers hope to send the plan to reduce the number of Division of Criminal Investigation agents at 15 casinos from six or seven – depending on their size – to just three to a House-Senate conference committee this week. Budget numbers, not the number of agents, is the sticking point in lawmakers' discussion of Senate File 447, the justice systems budget.

Integrity is the issue for Sue Brown, executive director of the State Police Officers Council, which represents Iowa State Patrol troopers and DCI agents. The agents, who do everything from background checks on casino employees to well as monitor dealers to inspect dice and decks of cards, provide the “frontline” policing at the casinos, she said.

“Special agents spend every day looking for activities that violate criminal law and racing and gaming industry rules,” she said Monday at a subcommittee hearing on SF 447. “They are the only impartial, outside enforcement within the casinos to ensure the rules are upheld and Iowans are gaming in a fair environment.”

That was the case 24 years ago, according to Wes Ehrecke of the Iowa Gaming Association. Now, he said, the roles of the agents often are redundant with the casinos own security.

As for the integrity of the casinos, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission “will make sure there is no compromise,” Ehrecke said.

“Racing and Gaming makes sure to uphold the integrity of the casinos every day,” he said.

The commission was a part of discussions that involved the state departments of Management and Administrative Services, the DCI and the gaming association, Ehrecke said.

The move would save casinos, which pay the cost of the agents, $3.7 million. The police officers' council proposed having four agents at each casino, a move that would save the casinos $1.9 million.

Brian Ohorilko, Racing and Gaming administrator, said the commission has no official position on the right number of agents. Its concern is protecting the integrity of gaming and the safety of casino patrons

He conceded that not taking a position amounts to a tacit endorsement of the Department of Public Safety plan to redeploy its DCI agents.

According to DPS, attrition, promotions and transfers should make layoffs unnecessary during the three-year phase-in of the new plan.

The gaming agent changes are included in the justice systems budget. The House version, approved on a party line vote in the GOP-dominated Appropriations Committee, would spend about 3 percent more than the current year budget, but about $25 million less than the $560 million approved on a party line vote by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

The full House is expected to take up the budget bill Tuesday.

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