State Representative Bobby Kaufmann, the driving force behind Iowa’s online casino bills in recent years, announced that he has no plans to introduce new iGaming legislation in the 2025 session. However, Kaufmann remains supportive of any colleague who might take up the cause.
The lawmaker’s most recent proposal, House Study Bill 227, stalled in committee before the close of Iowa’s legislative session in April. Speaking with Casino Reports, Kaufmann indicated that he doesn’t see himself as the right person to lead the next push for online casino legislation.
“Since I am no longer state government (committee) chair, it really isn’t my role to introduce gaming study bills anymore,” Kaufmann said. “I could individually sponsor – and would – but it wouldn’t have the potency of a study bill.”
In Iowa, study bills enjoy a more streamlined legislative process. Proposed by committee chairs, the governor, or state agencies, these bills bypass initial legislative hurdles and head straight to committee for consideration. Without this advantage, a regular bill might not even make it to committee after a lawmaker files it.
Kaufmann, now chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, left open the possibility that online casino bills could find their way to his current committee. “I can tell you if iGaming makes it to Ways and Means,” Kaufmann noted, “I will be supportive.”
Online gambling, for now, appears to be taking a backseat in Iowa’s broader gambling discussions. After a two-year moratorium on new casinos ended on July 1, attention has shifted to retail casino projects, particularly in Cedar Rapids, the state’s second-largest city.
The Linn County Gaming Association, in partnership with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), is moving forward with plans to build the $250 million Cedar Crossing Casino near downtown Cedar Rapids. The same partnership sought approval from the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission for a casino in 2022, but the moratorium thwarted their efforts.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2024/09/02/77104-iowas-online-casino-champion-steps-back-from-2025-bill-introduction
