Published: June 30, 2008 10:09 am      

Welcome to the new casino

It was done quietly, but the Wild Rose Casino & Resort opened its doors Friday, making it the first land-based casino in Iowa.

The casino itself, featuring 600 slot machines and 14 table games, as well as the 60-room Wild Rose Hotel, are fully operational. Because two outlets of the casino, the Coaches Corner Sports Bar & Grill and the Oakwood Grand Ballroom, are still under construction, casino officials decided to open without a lot of fanfare. A three-day grand opening event is planned for July 18, 19 and 20, which will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a performance by Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, and a half-price champagne brunch.

The creation of this casino has been a long time in the making, and one that we are excited to see happen for many reasons.

The Wild Rose employs upward of 350 people, and community leaders are hoping the casino’s location on the west end of town will lure visitors to the area and provide a benefit to the entire city through increased sales and property tax dollars and hotel/motel tax revenue. More people coming to town means the possibility of more activity in our stores.

But it also signals a change to our riverfront, where the Wild Rose, formerly known as the Mississippi Belle II, had conducted business since the early 1990s, when riverboat gaming was first allowed in the state of Iowa. This means there will be a better view of the river next to where the Clinton Marina's amenities building will open.

We wish the casino well at its new location and hope that its presence will be a great benefit to the city in the way of increased tourism, sales tax revenue and steady employment.