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This past month, Iowa casinos had difficulty keeping pace with their July revenue, falling 0.4% from $144.7 million to $144.2 million.
Though revenue was down slightly, a couple of casinos had excellent months.
Key takeaways
- Iowa casino revenue was down 0.4% in August.
- Revenue fell from $144.7 million to $144.2 million.
- Wild Rose Emmetsburg was the sole casino to post double-digit growth.
- Online casinos could’ve brought Iowa an estimated $54 million in July.
Wild Rose casino trio posted positive revenue numbers in August
Wild Rose Emmetsburg put together a fantastic month in August. The casino’s revenue rose 15%, making it the property to post double-digit revenue growth.
The casino’s two sister properties, Wild Rose Jefferson and Wild Rose Clinton, also posted positive numbers in August, making it a standout month for Wild Rose.
According to the latest Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission data, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City also had a great month. Its revenue rose from $7.3 million to $7.9 million, a 7.8% increase over Iowa’s July 2024 gaming revenue.
Though monthly revenue was down, yearly revenue was up 0.7%.
| Iowa Casino | August 2024 Revenue | July 2024 Revenue | % change, month-on-month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino | $19,835,225 | $19,936,215 | -0.51% |
| Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs | $15,411,669 | $16,544,551 | -6.85% |
| Ameristar II | $14,700,152 | $15,534,611 | -5.37% |
| Riverside Casino and Golf Resort | $11,257,575 | $11,200,394 | 0.51% |
| Rhythm City Casino | $9,744,025 | $9,737,224 | 0.07% |
| Diamond Jo – Worth | $9,505,165 | $8,950,587 | 6.20% |
| Grand Falls Casino Resort | $8,383,263 | $8,110,846 | 3.36% |
| Hard Rock Casino | $7,944,960 | $7,371,014 | 7.79% |
| Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo | $7,110,532 | $7,773,753 | -8.53% |
| Diamond Jo – Dubuque | $6,586,818 | $6,344,756 | 3.82% |
| Isle of Capri – Bettendorf | $5,843,862 | $5,774,992 | 1.19% |
| Harrah's Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel | $5,728,760 | $5,718,781 | 0.17% |
| Lakeside Casino | $4,050,231 | $4,309,711 | -6.02% |
| Catfish Bend Casino | $3,938,813 | $3,756,119 | 4.86% |
| Q Casino | $3,844,909 | $3,896,618 | -1.33% |
| Wild Rose – Jefferson | $3,085,270 | $3,025,777 | 1.97% |
| Wild Rose – Emmetsburg | $2,825,205 | $2,455,754 | 15.04% |
| Wild Rose – Clinton | $2,562,076 | $2,430,532 | 5.41% |
| Casino Queen – Marquette | $1,832,987 | $1,837,967 | -0.27% |
| Total | $144,191,497 | $144,710,202 | -0.36% |
Legal online casinos in Iowa are likely a long way off
Though land-based casinos are legal in Iowa, online casinos are not. Legislators have chosen not to bring iGaming to the state.
However, one policitican has been trying to reverse that trend. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann submitted a bill earlier this year that would’ve authorized online casinos. However, the bill never made it to the voting floor.
As Iowa online casinos remain illegal, operators are losing tens of millions of revenue. Based on PlayUSA’s estimations, Iowa iGaming could’ve generated $54 million in July.
| State | July online casino revenue | Population (according to 2023 Census Bureau data) | Per-capita revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $215.4 million | 13 million | $16.65 |
| Michigan | $195.4 million | 9.3 million | $20.65 |
| New Jersey | $191.4 million | 10 million | $19.86 |
| Connecticut | $41.7 million | 3.6 million | $12.86 |
| West Virginia | $20 million | 1.8 million | $9.94 |
| Delaware | $6 million | 1 million | $3.90 |
| Rhode Island | $2.6 million | 1.1 million | $2.09 |
| Average | $96.1 million | 5.7 million | $16.86 |
| Iowa | $54 million | 3.2 million | $16.86 |
Money typically does the talking in land-based gaming, but it will take more than projected revenue to convince lawmakers to legalize Iowa iGaming.
Casinos are sometimes wary that online gaming will cut into land-based casino revenue. Anti-gambling proponents are also quite vocal when online casino discussions surface.
As a result, online casinos are available in only seven states.
