Trial Over Cedar Rapids Casino Development Commences on May 7, Decision Could Approve $275 Million Venture
April 21, 2025, Caught in the Courtroom Crossfire: The Cedar Rapids Casino Battle Begins
Time's ticking, and the fiery confrontation over the $275 million casino in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is finally kicking off on May 7.
The contestants between Elite Casino Resorts, camped out in Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, and California's Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) and Cedar Rapids Development Group (CRDG), are gearing up to present their cases on whether a local Linn County ballot question in 2021 gave the green light to casino construction.
Elite Casino Resorts argues that the 2021 referendum only expanded the gambling options the county voters approved in 2013. As no slot machines, table games, or sports betting have seen Iowa's Linn County since 2013, Elite's legal eagles claim the 2021 referendum didn't pave the way for casino gambling.
CRDG and P2E's legal team disagree, preceding that the 2021 referendum continued the 2013 authorization of casino games.
The Nitty-Gritty of the Referendum
The Iowa Code grants the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) the power to issue gaming licenses in counties where the public agrees to gambling games through two referendums. The second referendum seeks the voters' permission to approve or reject “gambling games.”
Having skipped the first referendum, voters in 2021 embraced a ballot question in Linn County asking them to decide whether the 'operation of gambling games with no wager or loss limits may continue.' As there have never been licensed gambling games in Linn County, the Riverside petition posits that the voters had nothing to authorize to 'continue.'
P2E and CRDG's lawyers, counterintuitively, allege that Elite has filed a frivolous lawsuit because their competitor, Riverside Casino, might suffer the most financial impact in case a casino materializes in Cedar Rapids. Located about 35 air miles south of the proposed Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center, Riverside finds itself in a vulnerable position.
Judge Schilling's Warning
While Cedar Rapids eagerly strives to construct the $275 million Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center, P2E and CRDG are still in the early planning stages. Judge Michael Schilling advised the developers against jumping ahead of the curve since beginning construction wouldn't affect his judgment and warned them that the referendum's language seems to imply that a gaming facility was already operational within Linn County.
"Let's clear this up, the Respondents’ determination to march forward, to commence and maintain construction in the face of a lawsuit, isn't gonna sway this court when evaluating the strengths of the Petitioners’ arguments," Judge Schilling wrote in his ruling denying the stay. "Nor is jumping on the construction bandwagon a valid defense to a flawed ballot measure."
Gearing Up for the Showdown
Planned on a swanky plot of land along the western bank of the Cedar River, Cedar Crossing Casino will feature 700 slot machines, 22 tables, and a sportsbook. Also in the mix, are three restaurants, a 1,500-seat concert hall, an arts and cultural center, and a STEM lab.
As the war of words between Elite and P2E/CRDG proceeds, the residents of Cedar Rapids eagerly await the outcome of this mind-boggling legal scuffle. Stay tuned for more updates on this heated dispute!
- On May 7, 2025, the fiery contest between Elite Casino Resorts and Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) and Cedar Rapids Development Group (CRDG) over the $275 million casino in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is set to commence, delving into whether a 2021 local Linn County ballot question allowed casino construction.
- Elite Casino Resorts posits that the 2021 referendum only expanded the gambling options that were approved by the county voters in 2013, as no slot machines, table games, or sports betting have been present in Iowa's Linn County since then.
- CRDG and P2E's legal team, however, argue that the 2021 referendum continued the 2013 authorization of casino games.
- The Iowa Code stipulates that the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) has the power to issue gaming licenses in counties where the public agrees to gambling games through two referendums.
- In 2021, voters in Linn County approved a ballot question asking whether the operation of gambling games with no wager or loss limits may continue, with the Riverside petition contending that the voters had nothing to authorize for it to 'continue.'
- P2E and CRDG's lawyers allege that Elite Casino Resorts filed a frivolous lawsuit due to the potential financial impact on Riverside Casino, which is located about 35 air miles south of the proposed Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center.
- Judge Michael Schilling warned the developers against beginning construction, as the referendum's language seems to imply that a gaming facility was already operational within Linn County, and emphasized that this wouldn't sway the court's evaluation of the lawsuit's merits.
- Cedar Crossing Casino, planned along the western bank of the Cedar River, is set to feature 700 slot machines, 22 tables, and a sportsbook, along with three restaurants, a 1,500-seat concert hall, an arts and cultural center, and a STEM lab.
- As the legal battle between Elite and P2E/CRDG unfolds, the residents of Cedar Rapids keenly await the resolution of this intricate legal dispute under the watchful eyes of casino-and-gambling, casino-culture, politics, and general-news enthusiasts.
- Furthermore, the pending decision poses significant repercussions for the casino-personalities involved, as well as the overall casino-gaming industry in Iowa.
- Despite the legal adversity, proponents remain hopeful that the city of Cedar Rapids and Linn County will see the construction of a much-anticipated casino in the years to come.