The study seeks to answer what would be the projected impact of new casino licenses in the state, how much has the situation changed since 2017, and what would the projected new revenue be for a proposed facility. The information will help the IRGC determine if there should be a casino after a license was denied in their last attempt. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has also commissioned a second study on the potential impact on the market for a new casino in Cedar Rapids, for which it will hear presentations at a meeting next week.

Even though the venue could retain about 60% of its market, the report estimates a loss of around $35 million within three years after the Nebraska casino opens in South Sioux City. “The Iowa casinos will need to prepare for and do everything they can to put their best foot forward.”Īmong the casinos slated to lose revenue to competition is Sioux City’s Hard Rock Casino. “The Council Bluffs market is the largest market in the state and so there will be a significant impact,” Ohorilko said, according to the previously cited news source. While Brian Ohorilko, director of gaming at the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, said he was not surprised at the projected losses, he did admit the numbers were higher than those operators anticipated a year ago. The study claims Iowa city’s three casinos could lose 45% of their market to competition by mid-decade. Spectrum Gaming Group finds Council Bluffs casinos as the most at-risk, given 80% of their gaming revenue comes from Nebraska residents. The report anticipates casinos in Council Bluffs and Sioux City will face stiff competition from venues being constructed across the border in Omaha and South Sioux City.

The study predicts major losses in revenue for the state by 2025, reports Iowa Public Radio. As Nebraska moves forward with plans to construct casinos along Iowa’s western border, the increased competition is expected to lead to a significant loss in revenue for Iowa’s gaming industry, according to a socio-economic analysis by the Spectrum Gaming Group.

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