NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Jasper County voters have rejected a plan to build a casino and resort in Newton.

Jasper County election officials say the proposal was defeated Tuesday night, with about 62 percent of voters opposing the casino. The unofficial ballot count was 4,252 opposed and 2,614 in favor. The votes will be canvassed next week.

Officials have said the casino project would have created 600 jobs in an area hit hard by the closing of Maytag last year. Backers say a casino would draw millions of gamblers annually to a 62-acre site near the Iowa Speedway.

In March, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission decided not to accept new casino licenses and to study the impact of new casinos.

Iowa has three American Indian casinos and 17 state-regulated casinos, including four that opened in the last two years. It’s been three years since the state accepted new applications.