Casino news source: Times-Republican - http://www.timesrepublican.com
Lawmakers propose casino changes
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DES MOINES — The Legislature is considering a measure that would eliminate the requirement that riverboat casinos actually be located on water, with backers saying it is no longer useful.
‘‘It’s a vestige of the old days gone by,’’ said Sen. Mike Connolly, D-Dubuque. ‘‘We’re trying to update the code.’’
The state first ventured into riverboat gambling in 1989, with backers saying they wanted to couple legalized gambling with exploring the outdoors. That initial measure forced floating casinos to actually be located on water, and many have gone to extraordinary lengths to meet that requirement.
The Diamond Jo Worth Casino near the Minnesota border was built on an artificial basin as shallow as six inches in some spots, and critics said the requirement is expensive and unnecessary.
‘‘There’s no sense for an inland casino to have to put water underneath a gambling floor and to have to spend a bunch of money,’’ said Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg.
Critics said the effort was another erosion of the limits placed on gambling when it was first enacted.
‘‘I think Iowans are used to gambling,’’ said Senate Minority Leader Mary Lundby, R-Marion. ‘‘They don’t give a darn whether it’s on the river or whether it’s land based.’’
The Iowa Gaming Association, a lobbying group for the casino industry, said ending the requirement would eliminate unnecessary expense.
‘‘We have to continue to enhance that entertainment experience,’’ said Wes Ehrecke, president of the association. |
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