Category:Gambling

GAMBLING. Iowa was the first state to legalize riverboat gambling. The boats began operating on April Fools Day in 1991. Passengers were originally limited to $5 per bet with a maximum loss of $200 per person, per cruise. These restrictions caused several boats to move to Mississippi which offered 24-hour, no-limit, dockside gambling.

In September 1991 the first riverboats began operating in Illinois without Iowa’s restrictive bet or loss limits. The increased competition from these boats cut into the profitability of the Iowa boats. In early 1994 the Iowa legislature voted to eliminate the gambling restrictions. Additionally, gaming machines were legalized at three of the state’s four pari-mutuel facilities. In mid-2004 a provision was added to allow table games at those three tracks and the state also legalized casinos on moored barges that float in man-made basins of water and no longer required the casinos to be on boats.

The above description of gambling involves only part of the impact of this industry on Dubuque. The following articles serve to complete the picture.