In the US, an Iowa judge has lifted the suspension of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sioux City's state gaming licence, reversing an earlier ruling.
Pending an appeal, Polk County District Court Judge Eliza Ovrom’s ruling clears the way for construction of the $128.5m project to proceed and for the venue to open as scheduled late this summer.
"We appreciate the opportunity to present the full facts in this matter before the court," Bill Warner, president of the Hard Rock developer, Sioux City Entertainment, said in a statement. "We thank the court for the thorough and fair assessment of our position and for allowing us to proceed in accordance with the award granted by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission in April."
The owner of the Argosy Sioux City riverboat casino, which wanted the court to suspend the Hard Rock licence until a final ruling in Argosy's lawsuit against the IRGC, declined to say whether it would appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court.
"We are disappointed with the judge's decision but remain confident in our legal position and we do look forward to bringing the merits of this case to trial," Argosy parent Penn National Gaming said in a statement on its Hollywood Casino Sioux City Facebook page.
The Iowa Supreme Court intervened after a different Polk County District Court Judge, Robert Hanson, suspended the Hard Rock licence on December 10. Hanson's stay would have remained in place until a final verdict in Argosy's lawsuit seeking to overturn the IRGC decision to award Woodbury County's first land-based casino licence to SCE and its nonprofit partner, Missouri River Historical Development.
