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Iowa Statewide Rule

Iowa Requires County Referendum To License Casinos

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across Iowa (2026)

Key Facts

Regulator
Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission
License term
Up to three years, renewable
Referendum trigger
Voter petition under Iowa Code 331.306
Approval threshold
Simple majority of county voters
Re-vote lockout
Eight calendar years after any referendum
Two successive approvals
Ends further referendum requirement for county
Boat siting limit
Within 1,000 feet of state high-water marks
Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

Iowa Code 99F.7 gives the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission sole authority to decide the number, location, and type of licensed gambling structures and excursion gambling boats statewide, but no license can be issued in a county until that county's voters approve gambling games in a referendum triggered by a valid section 331.306 petition to the board of supervisors. A rejected or approved vote locks the county out of another referendum for eight years.

11. a. A license to conduct gambling games in a county shall be issued only if the county electorate approves the conduct of the gambling games as provided in this subsection. The board of supervisors, upon receipt of a valid petition meeting the requirements of section 331.306... shall direct the commissioner of elections to submit to the registered voters of the county a proposition to approve or disapprove the conduct of gambling games in the county... If a majority of the county voters voting on the proposition favor the conduct of gambling games, the commission may issue one or more licenses as provided in this chapter. If a majority of the county voters voting on the proposition do not favor the conduct of gambling games, a license to conduct gambling games in the county shall not be issued... e. After a referendum has been held which approved or defeated a proposal to conduct gambling games as provided in this section, another referendum on a proposal to conduct gambling games shall not be held until the eighth calendar year thereafter.

View official code

Full Breakdown

Iowa doesn't let a city or county government zone a casino the way it zones a strip mall. 7(1) hands the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission -- not local planning boards -- the sole authority to decide the number, location, and type of gambling structures and excursion gambling boats it licenses statewide, including a rule that excursion boats and moored barges may only operate on or within 1,000 feet of the high-water mark of a state river, lake, or reservoir. What local voters control is whether gambling is allowed in their county at all.

2(4)(a). A simple majority decides it either way. 7(11)(b) keeps that license valid and renewable for nine years from its original issue date or one year past the disapproving vote, whichever comes later -- the commission isn't required to shut the casino down overnight. 7(11)(c). 7(11)(d) exempts it from having to hold another vote at all. 7(11)(e) locks the county out of a repeat referendum -- win or lose -- for eight full calendar years. 7(16).

Violations & Penalties

Violating any condition in section 99F.7 triggers immediate license revocation by the commission -- there's no cure period (99F.7(16)). The commission also refuses to grant a license in the first place on documented grounds under 99F.7(8)-(9): a false statement to the commission, undisclosed ownership, a felony guilty plea or conviction, insufficient financial responsibility, or a prior suspension in another gambling jurisdiction. Licensees who fall delinquent on property taxes, other taxes or fees, or any contractual debt owed to a city or county -- including an excursion boat's required one-year-advance docking fee -- also risk their license under 99F.7(12)-(13).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a city or county get to zone where a casino goes in Iowa?
Not directly -- Iowa Code 99F.7(1) gives the Racing and Gaming Commission sole authority to decide the number, location, and type of gambling structures and excursion boats statewide. Local control comes only through the county referendum: no license issues in a county unless voters approve the proposition after a valid Iowa Code 331.306 petition puts it on the ballot.
What happens if county voters reject the casino referendum after a license is already operating?
The existing license doesn't shut down immediately. Under 99F.7(11)(b), it stays valid and renewable for nine years from its original issue date or one year from the disapproving referendum, whichever is later, unless the commission revokes it earlier for a violation.
How often can a county hold a new casino referendum?
Only once every eight calendar years. Iowa Code 99F.7(11)(e) bars the board of supervisors from submitting another referendum on conducting gambling games in the county until the eighth calendar year after any prior referendum was held, regardless of whether that earlier vote approved or defeated the proposal.
Can a county ever stop holding gambling referendums altogether?
Yes. Under Iowa Code 99F.7(11)(d), once county voters approve a proposition to operate gambling games in two successive elections, the board of supervisors is no longer required to submit a further referendum to keep authorizing gambling games in that county under chapter 99F -- the approval becomes effectively permanent.

Sources

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