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Iowa Riverboat Casinos Lose Big

IOWA – As reported by the Des Moines Register: "When the first champagne bottle was broken against the bow of an Iowa riverboat casino in 1991, supporters recalled the era of Mark Twain and smooth-talking card players in frock coats.

"…Thirteen years after Iowa inaugurated the nation's riverboat gambling industry, only one of the state's 10 floating casinos is regularly cruising this summer.

"The Mississippi Belle II in Clinton travels the river from 1 to 3 p.m. weekdays, drawing busloads of senior citizens from Illinois, said spokeswoman Cindy Fullick.

"…For the past decade, Iowa's casino vessels had been required to cruise 100 times annually, and often there were only a handful of patrons aboard for the two-hour trip, Ketterer said. The Iowa Legislature this year abolished the requirement…"

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