The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has approved Elite Casino Resorts’ acquisition of Catfish Bend Casino and FunCity Resort in Burlington. 

Elite Casino Resorts CEO Dan Kehl spoke on the acquisition, “We’re really looking forward to closing on the acquisition of Catfish Bend Fun City down there in Burlington. Looking forward to bringing our Elite Casino core principals to the property, which are: one, our employees are our greatest asset; two, we like to have clean and well-maintained resorts, exceptional food quality, great entertainment, and then great guest service. So, we think this, bringing our core principals down to the Burlington property and rolling it into our portfolio of casinos, will be a great thing not just for Burlington but for all of our other properties as our guests will be able to use their players club and rewards points all across Eastern Iowa. It’s going to be a good move for us.”   

With this acquisition, the Kehl family, majority owners of Elite Casino Resorts, along with more than 1,200 Iowa unitholders, many from Burlington and Fort Madison, are bringing Catfish Bend and Fun City back under their ownership. The transaction is expected to close on January 27, 2026.