Whitver cites ‘gaming fatigue’ as reason legislature passed casino moratorium – Radio Iowa

The Republican chief within the Iowa Senate says there may be “gaming fatigue throughout the Capitol” and that’s why a short lived moratorium on new on line casino licenses was shortly handed final week.

“Please simply stated, ‘We would like a pause and see how this shakes out over the subsequent couple of years,” Senate Majority Chief Jack Whitver stated on this previous weekend’s “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS.

Whitver famous there was zero push again throughout Senate debate of the moratorium.  “There have been a few adjustments that the casinos needed to make this yr that basically aren’t that drastic of adjustments, however one factor that our folks needed to see is that they don’t consider we want one other on line casino proper now,” Whitver stated.

There are 19 state-licensed casinos working in Iowa at this time. The moratorium on new licenses would final till July of 2024 — if the governor indicators the invoice into regulation. In
August of 2019, sports activities betting grew to become authorized and Whitver cited that as an element.

“Particularly after the sports activities gaming invoice that handed, there’s so many advertisements, a lot speak about gaming, that individuals stated: ‘We simply have to put a pause on this,’” Whitver stated.

And legislators this yr tabled the casinos request to permit wagering on online game completions or E-sports.

“Over the previous few years there’s been a number of adjustments to our gaming legal guidelines within the state of Iowa, after which there have been adjustments that can have an effect on Iowa, like Nebraska bringing casinos on board,” Whitver stated. “And so there’s a litte — a number of gaming fatigue throughout the Capitol.”

On Monday, dozens of native traders and Cedar Rapids officers stated they intend to use fo a on line casino license as quickly as state regulation permits. The plans for a$ 250 million on line casino and leisure complicated in downtown Cedar Rapids embrace flood management measures.