Comments Welcome to our new and improved comments , which are for subscribers only. Welcome to our new and improved comments , which are for subscribers only. Post to Facebook. Share This Story! Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona has been the lone legal gambling house in metro Des Moines since it opened as a horse track in It added slot machines in and table gaming in Owned by Polk County, Prairie Meadows is just one of two nonprofit casinos in the country. This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you. It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban. Please be polite. You will need to register before adding a comment. Daniel P. The casino is not going to be the draw they think it is long term. A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Your subscription makes work like this possible. CT Jan.{/INSERTKEYS}{/PARAGRAPH} {PARAGRAPH}{INSERTKEYS}Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about. Longtime gambling opponent Tom Coates, who assists problem gamblers and others in debt with his Consumer Credit of Des Moines counseling agency, said hoping a casino can generate revenue for the airport long-term is bad business. Efforts to reach Kirke on Tuesday were unsuccessful. Register Storyteller Daniel P. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Cancel Send. Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in. You do not need a Facebook profile to participate. Finney , Des Moines Register Published p. Join today at DesMoinesRegister. If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines , please report them.