Hard Rock among new casinos considered in Iowa

M.R.H.D. said a new Hard Rock Casino would be a us$ 100 million investment in the area, creating 500 permanent jobs and rake in national attention.

But Ho-Chunk, owned by the Winnebago Tribe, also wants in on the action. They are proposing two options they say will keep money in the Sioux City area. The first is the Warrior Casino Hotel. The second is the Pearl Casino.

With three different options on the table for a new casino in Sioux City, businesses between there and Omaha along I-29 say it’s an “Ace-in-the-hole” for big business. "I think it will drive a lot of business heading up the interstate, people will be willing to stop by on their way up and on their way down." Tonya Radil with Penny's Diner along I-29 in Missouri Valley said the prospects of a new casino means she'll dish out more slices of homemade chocolate pie.

"We always welcome the competition," Mark Adams said. The sweetness continued to Adams, a spokesperson for Ameristar Casino and Hotel in Council Bluffs, who said his operation was not concerned with competition to the north. “We’ve been in the Greater Omaha Metro area for a little over 16 years, so our patrons really enjoy the proximity that we are to them. We are keeping an eye on what's going on up there,” Adams said.

The deadline for all applications for a new casino license is November 1st. They are submitted to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The I.R.G.C. will then choose the finalist for a gaming license.