Gamblers lost $879 million last year

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Thursday, July 13, 2000 | 10:30 a.m.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A report by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission says gamblers lost a record $879 million at Iowa's racetrack and riverboat casinos in the budget year that ended June 30 -- 10 percent more than the previous year.

"It is fair to say we have enough gambling in Iowa," said Iowa House Speaker Brent Siegrist, a Council Bluffs Republican whose community has three casinos. "Clearly, we are not going to issue any more gambling licenses."

The success of Iowa's casino industry provided $188 million in gambling taxes to the state treasury during the past budget year. County and city governments received a total of about $8.7 million in gambling taxes.