The Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson marked its first year of operation Friday. The developer of the casino, Gary Kirke (Kirk) says he had never thought about building in the Greene County town until a supporter brought in a map. Kirke says he saw what he calls a donut hole the current casinos weren’t covering and decided it would work to build one there.
He says people bought into the idea that the casino could bring good things.
Figures from the casino show nearly 500-thousand people have visited the casino, while 25-thousand people have attended shows, concerts, meetings and conventions. Not everyone backed the idea of a new casino in the town, but Kirke says he’s seen few negatives for the community.
He says contributions to the casino’s non-profit organization have benefited the city, schools, community projects and surrounding counties. Kirke says the state is now almost saturated with casinos, with the only area he sees as being underserved is central Iowa in what’s called the Golden Circle area around Des Moines. He says that state’s gambling industry could face a threat from across the border with Nebraska seriously considering gaming. He says if Nebraska approves gambling, Iowa will have to react.
