Cedar Rapids Casino Moving Forward After Turning Back Legal Challenge

^{A future look at Cedar Crossing Casino, set to open in 2026 after Iowa regulators approved the project and a court rejected efforts to block it. (Photo: Courtesy of Cedar Crossing)} 

Construction is underway on Cedar Crossing Casino in Cedar Rapids, Iowa after opponents chose not to appeal a decision that shot down their efforts to stop the development.

Cedar Crossing, which is being developed by Peninsula Pacific Entertainment and the Linn County Gaming Association, was approved for a gaming license by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) by a 4-1 vote in February 2025.

Cannibalization, Referendum Language Fuel Challenges

However, the Cedar Rapids casino proposal had been controversial since it was first envisioned. Opponents cited concerns over the potential cannibalization of revenue from other nearby casinos. The Cedar Rapids developers were only able to apply for a gaming license because a moratorium on new casinos had expired in July 2024. That led opponents to seek a new moratorium in the state legislature before the IRGC could approve a new license, though that effort came up short in the Iowa Senate.

That left one avenue for a legal challenge. The Riverside Casino & Golf Resort and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation filed a petition in November 2024 claiming that a 2021 ballot referendum that allowed cities to pursue casino development was improperly worded and was thus invalid. 

While the IRGC denied that petition, Elite Casino Resorts – owners of the nearby Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, the casino most likely to be impacted by a new venue in Cedar Rapids – challenged the referendum in court. In June 2025, Judge Michael Schilling of Iowa’s Eighth Judicial District firmly rejected that challenge.

“The petitioners’ argument that voters were misled or confused does not adequately acknowledge the facts connected with the election,” Judge Schilling said in his ruling.

Mayor Celebrates ‘Transformational Project’ for Cedar Rapids

While that still left the potential for an appeal by Elite Casino Resorts, the company decided not to file another challenge, ending the only obvious hurdle in front of Cedar Crossing Casino. 

“With no appeal filed by Riverside, it’s official: we’re going vertical in Cedar Rapids,” Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said in a July 22 Facebook post. “This transformational project is moving forward—bringing jobs, entertainment, and new energy to our beautiful riverfront.”

The Cedar Crossing developers are promising a $275 million casino complex, including not only the gaming venue but also a cultural center and three live entertainment venues. The resort will be built on a vacant 25-acre lot that has been unused since damaging floods hit the city in 2008. The casino expects to include 700 slot machines, 22 table games, and a sportsbook.

With construction now underway, the expectation is for the resort to be completed by the end of 2026.