WATERLOO - Supporters of a riverboat gaming operation in Black Hawk County are preparing to file petitions seeking another gambling referendum.

But first they need to find them.

"People have made copies of the petitions and they're all over the place," said Don Hoth, who is spearheading the effort to bring an excursion boat gaming operation to the area. "The problem is, I don't know where they're all at, and people need to know it's time to get them in."

Hoth has about 4,000 signatures in his possession and hopes to present about 5,000 signatures on the petition to be delivered to the county. The group needs slightly more than 4,200 signatures to force the county Board of Supervisors to place the measure before voters.

Hoth is asking petition holders to return the documents to him at 100 Woodlawn Road, Waterloo, IA 50701. He hopes to file them within the next two weeks and seek an election in September or early October.

Hoth's group has formed the Black Hawk County Gaming Association, which has applied for tax-exempt status as a nonprofit organization. Plans call for the association to hold a gaming license, hire a company to operate the riverboat casino and funnel all the profits back into property tax relief, public improvements and charitable organizations throughout the county.

"We've had some gaming companies in here, but we may not have a location determined until after the next legislative session," Hoth said. "If the Legislature changes the requirement for the boats to cruise, it makes a tremendous difference to the gaming companies.

"I don't care where it goes as long as we get some revenue here for property tax relief that would benefit the entire county," he added.

Voters in 1994 twice rejected referendums to expand gambling in the county by adding slot machines at Waterloo Greyhound Park, which eventually closed following bankruptcy reorganization.

Meanwhile, Mayor John Rooff has been meeting with gaming companies interested in reviving the greyhound track and adding slot machines at WGP.

Hoth's group opposes that proposal, noting land-based gaming operations have more expenses related to the dog owners and are taxed by the state at 36 percent. Excursion boat casinos pay a 20 percent tax and can have table games and video poker machines, which are not allowed under current laws at land-based casinos.

Any gambling operation likely would require a change in state laws or a change of the administrative rules set forth by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The commission imposed a moratorium on new gaming licenses in 1998, but has been reviewing the rules in recent months.

Communities across the state have been lining up for licenses if the state decides to issue them.

Voters in Worth and Palo Alto counties have already approved gambling referendums. Mason City, Hampton, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Spirit Lake and Cedar Rapids are also working on plans for new gaming operations.

Iowa is currently home to 10 riverboat casinos, three racetracks offering slot machines and three tribal casinos, which are exempt from the ban on land-based table games.