Iowa’s online casino champion has no plans to file a bill in 2025

The lawmaker behind previous Iowa online casino bills over the past two years says he likely won’t introduce more igaming legislation – but he’ll support anyone who does.

Kaufmann, whose most recent online casino bill, HSB 227, died in committee when Iowa’s last legislative session ended in April, told Casino Reports he doesn’t think he’s the right lawmaker to file the next round of igaming legislation.

“Since I am no longer state government [committee] chair, it really isn’t my role to introduce gaming study bills anymore,” Kaufmann told Casino Reports. “I could individually sponsor – and would – but it wouldn’t have the potency of a study bill.”

Lawmaker says he’s no longer in right position

In Iowa, committee chairs, the governor, or state agencies can propose what’s called a study bill. These bills head straight to committee before ever seeing action on the house or senate floor. In essence, they skip a step in the legislative process. Regular bills may never reach a committee after a lawmaker files them.

Kaufmann is, however, chair of the house ways and means committee. Potential online casino bills could take a route through that committee in the future.

“I can tell you if igaming makes it to ways and means,” Kaufmann told Casino Reports, “I will be supportive.”

Retail casinos taking priority

For now, online casinos are on the backburner in Iowa’s gambling landscape.

A two-year moratorium on new casinos in Iowa ended on 1 July. Since then, all eyes have been on Cedar Rapids, the state’s second-biggest city. The Linn County Gaming Association has partnered with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) to build a $250m casino near downtown – Cedar Crossing Casino.

That same pairing tried to pitch a Cedar Rapids casino to the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission in 2022, but the moratorium halted those plans.

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