OTTUMWA — All bets aren’t off yet for a casino in Ottumwa, according to Steve Siegel and the River Hills Riverboat Authority.

Siegel, the Wapello County Board of Supervisors representative on the RHRA, Ottumwa’s prospective license holder for a casino, said he remains optimistic about building a casino in Ottumwa if the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission gives the proposal a fair chance.

A report released Tuesday, requested by the IRGC, suggested a casino in Ottumwa would likely take money away from other existing casinos.

The study concluded that a casino in Wapello County would attract locals, but could also bring in occasional visitors from Des Moines, Burlington and Iowa City. However, those locations already have casinos, and most people would not make a habit of traveling to Ottumwa.

The study also found that a majority of the revenue for a casino in Wapello County would come from money already being spent at other casinos in Iowa. It expects a mid-sized casino to draw 70 percent of its revenue from Terribles-Lakeside in Osceola, Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Riverside, Catfish Bend in Burlington, Isle of Capri at Bettendorf and Meskwaki in Tama.

“I don’t think they’ve ever opened a casino that didn’t take money away from somebody,” Siegel said. “A study is a study, that’s all it is.”

He said that Gov. Chet Culver has said in that past that if the commission expands gambling in the state, Ottumwa and Fort Dodge should be considered first. However, the final decision remains with the IRGC.

“I know the governor is in our corner; I know we’ve waited patiently; I know we had a good proposal last time; I know we deserve it,” Siegel said.

The IRGC will meet next month and could decide whether or not to accept proposals for additional casinos in the state.

Siegel said if that is the case, then the RHRA will apply again. Wapello County’s original bid was rejected by the commission in 2005.

A casino could bring 250-420 jobs to the area, bring in additional tourists, which would bring in more money to the local economy, and also bring money to local governments and nonprofits, Siegel said.

“I know a lot of people are interested in having a facility here because not a week goes by where somone doesn’t ask me how we’re coming on that casino,” he said. “A lot of people are interested and supportive of it.”

Pat Shaver can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or via e-mail at p.shaver@ottumwacourier.com.