It has been 16 years since Illinois lawmakers made it legal for riverboat gambling to dock. Now, casinos in the Quad Cities are undergoing change again, as the industry expands to more land-based casinos.
Throwback to June of 1999, the rules were changing as Illinois and Iowa casino boats worked to compete with each other. Illinois boats were allowed to dock, while Iowa boats had to cruise. That stipulation made things more costly for the Iowa boats' maintenance.
"It's more expensive to maintain a vessel and a marine crew and all of the operations that come with that," said casino manager Nancy Donovan.
It was around that time that there was talk of an interstate compact, to make uniform gambling bills that both states could agree to.
In 2008 Jumer's Casino and Hotel became the first land-based casino to open in the Illinois Quad Cities. The Iowa Quad Cities are in the works to get some more land-based casinos on the ground. The Isle of Capri is in motion to expand in Bettendorf and Rhythm City broke ground on a $110 million complex.