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Iowa Commission Rejects Application Request

JOHNSTON, Iowa — As reported by the Quad-City Times: "The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission voted 3-1 Thursday to reject a request by one company to push back a Nov. 10 deadline for new gaming license applications until the end of the year.

"Ameristar, which is hoping to open a riverboat casino in Polk County, wanted an extension until Dec. 31 to give them time to take a gambling referendum to voters in a special election. But leaders of gambling projects in six other Iowa counties complained in e-mails to the commission that Polk County should have to follow the original deadline.

"Commissioner Diane Hamilton said the Polk County project has had plenty of time to put an application together and it would not be fair to the other projects that are ready to apply.

"…Jerry Crawford, a lawyer representing Ameristar, said the company wanted time to conduct a special election rather than placing the gambling referendum on the Nov. 2 ballot along with other controversial measures — possibly a Des Moines/Polk County merger and approval of a new jail…"

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