1991 – During its first few years of operation, it went bankrupt in November 1991.

1992 – Live racing was suspended before revenues from off-track betting allowed racing to resume the following year.

1994 to 1995 – On May 17, 1994, legislation allowing the installation of slot machines at Prairie Meadows was passed, and slot machines were installed on April 1, 1995. This brought success to the track, and they could finally pay their debts.

1996 –  By December 1996, Prairie Meadows had paid off $89.3 million in debt to Polk County, setting the stage for the gambling operation to become a cash cow for the county.

1997 – But Prairie Meadows was engulfed in a new controversy in 1997 when the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission threatened to revoke its state gambling license. State regulators were concerned that Polk County’s landlord was operating Prairie Meadows instead of the licensee, the Racing Association of Central Iowa. A settlement was finally reached after a two-day proceeding that resulted in a new agreement between Polk County and the racing association.

1998 – The expansion of racetrack gambling followed a lawsuit filed in 1998 challenging much higher state gambling tax rates imposed on racetrack casinos compared to tax rates for riverboat casinos.

2004 – On December 14, 2004, Prairie Meadows became a full-fledged casino as they added table games to the casino mix, such as blackjack, craps, and roulette. The track continued to flourish and had a high demand for the addition of tables;

2005 – The facility’s expansion was approved on January 25, 2005. The construction started in September 2005.

2006 – The track was opened again in August 2006.

2007 – The next year (February 2007), another two new restaurants and a 1,200-seat concert hall known as “The Meadows” were opened.

2012 – In 2012, Prairie Meadows Hotel was opened, and another restaurant named Café at the Meadows was added.

2016 – By 2016, an all-new loyalty program titled Prairie Gold Rewards was launched at Prairie Meadows. This robust program rewards both gaming and non-gaming guests while offering the best casino rewards benefits in the Midwest.

2019 – On January 16, 2019, Prairie Meadows announced a partnership with bookmaker William Hill in preparation for the proposed legalization of sports betting in Iowa.