Articles Tagged: gambling

State regulators are warning Iowans about a rise in fraudulent online gambling websites that mimic legitimate casinos or falsely claim to be licensed in the state.

The purchase includes all assets and operations of Great River Entertainment, LLC, the parent company of Catfish Bend and FunCity Resort. Terms of the deal were not disclosed Tuesday.

Gaming officials say the drop in gaming revenue during the last fiscal year is a continued rightsizing after a post-pandemic spike in Iowa’s gaming revenue. Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center officials remain optimistic about the revenue their new Cedar Rapids casino will produce.

Timely construction of the $275M Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment facility is contingent on the case’s conclusion.

The NCAA has taken disciplinary action against five current or former Iowa State football support staff members for combining to make more than 6,200 online bets totaling more than $100,000 on professional and college games, including games involving the Cyclones.

After a Cedar Rapids license was rejected twice and as the would-be casino developers were preparing to try again, the rocky relationship between the two casino operators took a turn in 2022 -- a partnership proposal. It now has turned into a court fight.

While a proposed bill in the Iowa legislature would not prevent the development of a Cedar Rapids casino, backers worry it would prohibit the city of Cedar Rapids from using a primary funding source to pay for needed road improvements and flood control measures tied to the project, but which benefit the larger surrounding area.

Just like bars and restaurants in the state, smoking would be prohibited inside Iowa casinos under legislation that took a step forward Tuesday.

Iowa’s Racing and Gaming Commission voted unanimously Monday to deny a request by Riverside Casino & Golf Resort to immediately pause issuance of a gambling license in Linn County. They said the issue is one for Iowa courts to decide.

After more than a decade of trying to bring a casino to Linn County, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission voted 4-1 to grant a gaming license to build a planned $275 million casino and entertainment center near downtown Cedar Rapids.

Senators in the Iowa Legislature were told to keep their schedule clear Wednesday evening in anticipation of potential floor debate on a casino moratorium bill. Meanwhile, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to grant a license for a planned $275 million casino and entertainment center near downtown Cedar Rapids.

The odds of Cedar Rapids finally getting a casino took a hit Thursday when state lawmakers advanced legislation that would prohibit any new casinos in Iowa for at least five years.

House lawmakers on Monday advanced legislation to create a five-year moratorium on new state-licensed casinos in Iowa. The move comes as the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission nears a decision at its Feb. 6 meeting on whether to grant a license for a Linn County casino.

Bills to create a five-year moratorium on new state-licensed casinos in Iowa have been introduced by Republicans in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature.

Iowa lawmakers are expected to again consider a moratorium blocking the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission from awarding new gaming licenses in the state.