$275M Cedar Crossing Casino Sets November 19 Opening in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center, a $275 million project in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will open its doors Thursday, November 19 — about six weeks earlier than the New Year's Eve opening originally planned, according to Casino.org. The property is Iowa's newest commercial casino and, per earlier local reporting, represents the largest single casino investment in the state's history.
What's inside
The casino is being developed by Los Angeles-based Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), which also owns Kansas Crossing Casino in Kansas and four Revo-branded casinos in New Hampshire. At opening, the property will offer roughly 700 slot machines, 22 live-dealer table games, and a retail sportsbook. Non-gaming amenities include five bars and restaurants — among them a steakhouse called Clubhouse by Zach Johnson, named for the Iowa-born professional golfer — along with a 1,500-seat event center expected to host more than 100 concerts and comedy shows a year, and a 5,000-square-foot children's STEM lab called the Compass Center, accessible without walking through the gaming floor.
A faster build than planned
General manager Kim Pang told the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on October 15 that finishing ahead of schedule was "a dream come true," adding, "We want to be the fabric of Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids has been waiting for this for many years." P2E has committed to directing 8% of the casino's annual gross gaming revenue to the Linn County Gaming Association, a charitable distribution Casino.org notes is well above the state's standard 3% mandate — a commitment the outlet estimates could exceed $6 million a year once the property is running at a normal pace.
Why it matters
Cedar Crossing becomes the latest addition to Iowa's commercial casino market, adding a large new property to a state that already hosts more than a dozen licensed casinos. For Cedar Rapids specifically, it's a meaningful entry: the city becomes home to a full-scale casino, entertainment venue, and sportsbook complex in one development, with hiring already underway across gaming, food and beverage, and hospitality roles ahead of the opening.