Casino news from http://www.press-citizen.com/
• February 2004: Catfish Bend Casinos begins collecting 724 signatures, or 10 percent of the voters from the previous general election, for a petition to open a land-based casino in Riverside and form a nonprofit organization to hold the gambling license.
• July 15, 2004: The city of Riverside signs a memorandum of understanding to support the nonprofit organization in acquiring a gaming license.
• July 18, 2004: Communities Against Riverboat Expansion, or CARE, forms and launches its campaign opposing the proposed project.
• July 20, 2004: Catfish Bend Casinos submits to the Washington County Board of Supervisors a petition with more than 1,400 signatures. Supervisors set the date for a special election.
• July 27, 2004: The Washington County Board of Supervisors signs a memorandum of understanding to support the nonprofit group's efforts to obtain a gambling license for the county.
• Aug. 10-25, 2004: Catfish Bend Casinos holds informational meetings about the proposed casino. Washington Citizens for Good Jobs forms and begins its campaign to support the project.
• Aug. 31, 2004: The riverboat gambling referendum passes in Washington County with 52.2 percent approval.
• Sept. 2, 2004: The gaming commission agrees to lift a moratorium on gaming licenses that it imposed in 1998.
• Oct. 4, 2004: Riverside City Council discusses drafting agreements for utilities and land use in preparation for the proposed casino.
• Nov. 10, 2004: Filing deadline for new riverboat gambling license applications to be turned in to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The commission receives 10 applications.
• May 4, 2005: State regulators say they received 133 e-mails and letters opposing the Riverside casino plan. A majority of the racing and gaming commissioners say they favor approving three to five new casino licenses.
• May 11, 2005: The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission awards the non-profit Washington Riverboat Foundation Inc. a gaming license for the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.
• June 20, 2005: The Riverside City Council votes 4-1 to enter into a joint venture with casino backers to build a new state-of-the-art sewer and water facility through tax increment financing, or TIF, revenue.
• July 20, 2005: The Riverside Casino & Golf Resort breaks ground on 375 acres off Highway 22. The total building will be more than 350,000-square feet.
• Aug. 15, 2005: The Riverside City Council votes 4-1 to keep open Walnut Avenue in rural Riverside. The casino and resort asked for the road to be closed to make way for its 18-hole golf course.
• March 13, 2006: The City Council voted 4-1 in favor of closing the road.
• May 2006: Dealer school opens in a warehouse off Highway 22 in Riverside. The casino will hire 250 dealers to work three shifts.
• July 31, 2006: The Riverside Casino & Golf Resort begins airing commercials in the Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities and Des Moines areas.
• Thursday: The Riverside Casino & Golf Resort will open, first to investors and dignitaries, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. The general public will then be allowed into the facility.
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