February
2004 Online Casinos News
Lawmakers unveil
gambling plan today
DES MOINES — After weeks of listening
to all sides of the gambling debate in
a series of meetings and public
hearings, lawmakers today will unveil
the first draft of a bill that leaders
say significantly could change the
state’s gaming laws.
Rep. Scott Raecker, R-Urbandale,
who leads the House gambling
subcommittee, said the bill would be a
“work-in-progress” that will address a
majority of the gambling questions
that have been on the table since the
beginning of the session.
He promised the proposal will not
be a “shell bill” with few details.
The questions addressed include
whether cruising requirements for
riverboats are still needed and
whether or not they can be located on
man-made lakes instead of rivers. The
subcommittee also has considered
expanding the number of gaming
licenses and allowing table games at
racetracks, other issues that could be
addressed in the bill.
Today’s proposal also is expected
to lay out a new tax structure for
casinos, after the Iowa Supreme Court
struck down the state’s gaming tax
laws last week. The court sided with
racetracks that sued the state
claiming they were unfairly taxed at a
higher rate than riverboats.
Members of the subcommittee have
spent weeks hearing from gambling
industry officials, those who treat
Iowans with gambling addictions, and
community leaders who say a new casino
would add a needed spark to the local
economy.
Other questions that have not been
discussed in the subcommittee but have
been floating around the Capitol, such
as whether the state will ban alcohol
from casino floors, will not be in the
bill unveiled, Raecker said.
Some members of that subcommittee
say they are in the dark.
Read the
complete article at:
QC Times
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