Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, Iowa can breathe far more easily today after voters in Polk and 16 other Iowa counties voted to extend casino gambling for eight more years.

The vote was needed under Iowa’s state law requiring periodic reaffirmation.

Oregon, however, did not approve a proposal that would have established the only privately-held casino in the state. Opposition from Indian tribes and the Oregon state lottery carried the day.

Slots Strong In PA

In Pennsylvania, slot revenue showed another healthy jump. The Sands Casino in the former Bethlehem steel plant showed a year-to-year increase of 11 per cent in slots play, handling $21.7 million in October. The number of slot machines in the state rose to nearly 27,000 in the last year.

(Harness Tracks of America)