Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission Opens Application Process for Linn County Casino License

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on Thursday decided to launch its application process for a Linn County casino license.

The timeline for those applications has not been announced. Linn County voters approved the push to build a casino in November.

The regulator has directed its staff to launch the process, with all commissioners who denied a Cedar Rapids license in 2017 and 2014 having cycled off the panel in the years since, meaning applications will be handled by a brand new state commission.

The meeting on Thursday comes after Churchill Downs Inc. announced its purchase of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, the parent company for the Cedar Rapids Development Group. The purchase did not include the Cedar Rapids Development Group.