Iowa Casino Gambling Issue Coming To The Forefront Thursday

The state of Iowa does not want to be left out in the cold when it comes to casino gambling expansion. Other states are in the process of expanding their gaming offerings, and Iowa is considering it themselves.

On Thursday, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission will meet and on their agenda will be reviewing studies that have been done exploring whether adding more casinos in the state would be feasible. More casinos would create competition for existing casinos, and the studies will show whether or not all can survive in this economic climate.

"What the Racing Commission has to weigh is whether the economy has reached a point where residents of Iowa cannot support more casino gambling," said observer Gary Treasker, "If they conclude that the state can support additional casinos, then voters would have their say in the 2010 election."

In fact, the state would not be allowed to expand gambling without voter approval. Counties where casinos already exist would have to once again approve any gambling expansion. The chances are strong, however, that if they already approved casinos, they would approve expansion.

Lyon County is one of the areas where casino gambling expansion is being discussed. The county has already received the endorsement of being the front-runner for a new casino from independent studies that were completed.

Fort Dodge, Franklin, Tama, and Ottumwa are also counties that have been mentioned when it comes to casinos. The expansion has been proposed to ensure that more jobs are created in these counties.

June 2, 2009
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
Submit News!