This bill addresses the licensing and regulation of gambling games in Iowa, instituting a moratorium on the issuance of new licenses from January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030, limiting the total number of licenses to 19 during this period. It mandates that the state racing and gaming commission conduct a socioeconomic study every eight years, with specific topics outlined for examination, including the financial and societal impacts of gambling, problem gambling treatment programs, and the effects of new licenses on existing operations. Notably, the commission is prohibited from issuing new licenses after July 1, 2030, until the report for the 2029 study is completed.

Additionally, the bill restricts new gambling licenses to counties where gambling was already operational as of January 1, 2025, and includes provisions to protect existing licensees from negative impacts due to new licenses. The commission must also collaborate with the economic development authority to promote tourism and cannot issue new licenses that would adversely affect existing operations by more than 10 percent. Furthermore, the bill requires a comprehensive review of internet gaming's impact on Iowa's gaming industry, with a report due by January 1, 2026. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment and is retroactively applicable to January 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 99F.4, 99F.6