Clinton - Area residents eagerly awaiting a glimpse inside Iowa’s first true land-based casino finally got their chance as the Wild Rose Casino & Resort opened its doors to customers Friday for the first time. According to Wild Rose Marketing Manager Maureen Roushar, attendance for the “soft opening” was much larger than anticipated. “This is really exciting,” Roushar said of the packed house.

Wild Rose Entertainment LLC operates two small casinos in Iowa and last year became the Kansas City suburb’s preferred developer for a gambling complex on nearly 300 city-owned acres next to La Benite Park. After signing a development agreement with the city, Wild Rose last fall submitted a formal request for a license to the Missouri Gaming Commission, which voted 5-0 last month to seek other interested applicants for the area a few miles east of Harrah’s and Ameristar.