County voters approve riverboat gambling

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Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2003 | 9:27 a.m.

OTTUMWA, Iowa -- Wapello County voters approved riverboat gambling Tuesday, by a margin of 317 votes.

With 4,425 total votes recorded, 54 percent approved of gambling, or 2,371 votes, in unofficial results. The remaining 46 percent, or 2,054 votes, cast their ballots against the referendum.

Wapello County was the sixth county to have a gambling referendum this year, and the fourth to approve riverboat gambling. But the margin was by far the closest of any county which saw approval. Supervisor Jerry Parker said he believes the tight vote could hurt Wapello County's standing before the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.