08-02-2025
Riverside Casino asks court to halt new casino construction
RIVERSIDE, Iowa — The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has approved construction of a new casino this week. As Cedar Rapids leaders broke ground on Friday, a nearby casino is saying, 'not so fast.'
Elite Casino, the owner of Riverside Casino issued this statement after the Commission vote on Thursday.
'We are disappointed by the commission's decision. We appreciate the time and effort the commission and staff put into this, but we do have questions and concerns as we still believe the referendum requirement has not been met and are reviewing our next best steps,' said Elite Casino Resorts CEO Dan Kehl.
The court document to halt construction was released on Friday morning:
'The license issuance is erroneous because the Linn County Casino will heavily cannibalize surrounding casinos, including the casino operated by Riverside, and the economic impact of the Linn County casino was not properly weighed by the IRGC contrary to Iowa Administrative Rule.'
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On the Riverside Casino floor on Friday, one patron said that he and his friends were all going to keep supporting Riverside, due to its location. The Cedar Rapids casino site is located between the Cedar River, and some older homes in the city. The Riverside customer said he liked the rural location of Riverside, away from the city.
Riverside was built after Cedar Rapids was denied a casino license during the first few rounds of gaming hearings. The casino's market area has been the Cedar Rapids, Iowa City area.
In Cedar Rapids, one neighbor of the proposed casino is looking forward to it being in the neighborhood.
'You know it's entertainment, it's an eatery. There's family things and it's also good for property values,' said Lisa Pruess, Cedar Rapids.
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