Iowa's Casinos Set Record - 2004-01-11
Gambling was up at Iowa's riverboats and racetracks the past six months, in part due to the shutdown of the Meskwaki casino close to Tama, but
there were also other factors, an industry spokesman said.

"I think the economy's been improving and there are more discretionary dollars that people have earmarked for entertainment," said Wes Ehrecke, president of the Iowa Gaming Association, a casino trade group.

Gamblers left behind a record $529 million over the past six months, up 9 percent from a year earlier.
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Regulating Racino - 2004-01-11
Supporters and detractors of racinos, combination horse-racing tracks and betting parlors, certainly made excellent arguments for and against the lengthy array of regulations Gov. John Baldacci has proposed for the fledgling industry in Maine. Some of their arguments were definitely convincing. But, the truth is, hardly anyone in Maine knows anything about regulating racinos, a fairly new breed in the gambling world.

So, it makes sense to hear from industry experts and regulators in other states who have actually had experience with race track casino s. Gov. Baldacci did this before crafting his 39-page bill. Not only did members of his staff talk with regulators in other states, they went to other states and learned what regulations worked and which ones didn't.
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