Buoyed by a bustling gambling market and optimistic about the future, Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs won state approval Thursday for 250 more slot machines. Ed Fasulo, general manager of Ameristar in Council Bluffs, said the renovation would allow the casino to try to expand its market. Fasulo also said the addition of a super-sized sporting goods store in Council Bluffs should add to gambling growth.
It was announced earlier this summer that Bass Pro Shops Outdoor, which seeks to be a destination site similar to Cabela's in Sidney, Neb., plans to build a store near the Bluffs casinos.
It has been estimated that Bass Pro could draw a million visitors a year, and Ameristar hopes to lure a few of those customers, too, Fasulo said. Ameristar is one of three casinos on the Iowa side of the Iowa-Nebraska border in Council Bluffs. It currently has about 45 percent of the gambling market share in the city.
Overall, gross gambling revenue, the money lost by gamblers, grew at the three casinos in Council Bluffs by 7.2 percent in the first six months of this year, compared with the first six months of last year. A good chunk of that can be attributed to Ameristar, whose gross gambling revenue grew by 14 percent during that period.
In addition, overall admissions also are up 4.4 percent at the three casinos for the first six months of this year, Fasulo said. Kate Cutler, a gaming commission member from Honey Creek, called the gambling growth at Ameristar "extraordinary."
"I think this (expansion) just adds one more piece to it. That means we'll see further growth," Cutler said.
It is estimated the renovation project will increase gross gambling revenue at Ameristar by $17 million annually. Of that, $3.8 million would be returned to the state, county and city in taxes, Fasulo said.
In addition to the new slot machines, Ameristar plans to remodel its buffet rooms and its 162 hotel rooms, and add 9,800 square feet of gambling space on its riverboat. The renovation project could start this fall and end sometime late next summer, Fasulo said.
In another matter, the commission rejected, on a 3-1 vote, a request by Ameristar to extend the deadline for new casino applications. The commission lifted its moratorium on new casinos earlier this year and is expected to receive between eight or 10 applications by a Nov. 10 deadline.
Ameristar, which is gathering signatures for a referendum in Polk County, wanted the deadline extended until Dec. 31. Ameristar wants to build a casino in Des Moines. First, it must win local approval through a referendum. The company wanted to delay the referendum until December, saying it didn't want the issue to be one of several for voters to tackle on the Nov. 2 ballot.
The commission said it would be better if the referendum were on the November ballot. More people will vote then than in a special election, said commission member Mike Mahaffey.
It was announced earlier this summer that Bass Pro Shops Outdoor, which seeks to be a destination site similar to Cabela's in Sidney, Neb., plans to build a store near the Bluffs casinos.
It has been estimated that Bass Pro could draw a million visitors a year, and Ameristar hopes to lure a few of those customers, too, Fasulo said. Ameristar is one of three casinos on the Iowa side of the Iowa-Nebraska border in Council Bluffs. It currently has about 45 percent of the gambling market share in the city.
Overall, gross gambling revenue, the money lost by gamblers, grew at the three casinos in Council Bluffs by 7.2 percent in the first six months of this year, compared with the first six months of last year. A good chunk of that can be attributed to Ameristar, whose gross gambling revenue grew by 14 percent during that period.
In addition, overall admissions also are up 4.4 percent at the three casinos for the first six months of this year, Fasulo said. Kate Cutler, a gaming commission member from Honey Creek, called the gambling growth at Ameristar "extraordinary."
"I think this (expansion) just adds one more piece to it. That means we'll see further growth," Cutler said.
It is estimated the renovation project will increase gross gambling revenue at Ameristar by $17 million annually. Of that, $3.8 million would be returned to the state, county and city in taxes, Fasulo said.
In addition to the new slot machines, Ameristar plans to remodel its buffet rooms and its 162 hotel rooms, and add 9,800 square feet of gambling space on its riverboat. The renovation project could start this fall and end sometime late next summer, Fasulo said.
In another matter, the commission rejected, on a 3-1 vote, a request by Ameristar to extend the deadline for new casino applications. The commission lifted its moratorium on new casinos earlier this year and is expected to receive between eight or 10 applications by a Nov. 10 deadline.
Ameristar, which is gathering signatures for a referendum in Polk County, wanted the deadline extended until Dec. 31. Ameristar wants to build a casino in Des Moines. First, it must win local approval through a referendum. The company wanted to delay the referendum until December, saying it didn't want the issue to be one of several for voters to tackle on the Nov. 2 ballot.
The commission said it would be better if the referendum were on the November ballot. More people will vote then than in a special election, said commission member Mike Mahaffey.
