Hunter
05/08/25
A judicial review hearing Wednesday centered on the 2021 approval of a casino gambling referendum that led to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission granting a license to a proposed Cedar Rapids site.
The Corridor Business Journal reports the lawsuit was filed by the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation against the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, the Linn County Gaming Association and the Cedar Rapids Development Group. The suit claims that the 2021 referendum, which was approved by voters and permanently authorized casino gaming in Linn County, was improperly worded, because it indicated that the “operation of gambling games with no wager or loss limits may continue” in Linn County, even though there was no casino operating in the county at that time.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission voted 4-1 on February 6th to approve a gaming license for the $270 million Cedar Crossing Casino in Cedar Rapids, which led to the suit being filed that same day. Construction has already begun on the project, causing the case to be expedited. District Court Judge Michael Schilling moved the hearing to Mount Pleasant due to a lack of court space in Linn County.
Attorney Mark Weinhardt, representing the plaintiffs, said the improper wording of the 2021 referendum caused the vote to be “botched,” and claimed the election happened in a misleading way.
Attorney Jeff Peterzelek represents the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. He says the commission has complete authority over casino gaming in the state, and the 2021 referendum was simply a “check-in” asking voters if they still approved gambling in Linn County like they did in 2013.
Attorneys for the Cedar Rapids Development Group and the Linn County Gaming Association also made their case to keep the new license intact.
Judge Schilling requested that attorneys for both sides submit any supplemental materials for the case in the next week, and said he would issue a ruling within 60 days.