Sports betting in the Hawkeye State is finally legal!
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed bill SF 617 into law, making Iowa the 11th US state to legalize sports betting. Since then, multiple casinos have rolled out both mobile and retail sportsbooks.
This page provides you with everything you needed to know about Iowa sports betting. This includes how to download and sign up, how to receive the best promotions and what you can legally bet on in Iowa.
Read on for all the latest on Iowa’s foray into the sports betting world.
Last updated: Jan. 5, 2021
Remote registration for sports betting accounts is now available in Iowa. This means customers can now sign-up with any of the eight sportsbooks currently operating in the state from the comfort of their home.
Yes. With around 80% of modern sports betting taking place online, thanks to FanDuel and DraftKings, Iowa has done well to ensure that its law allows online betting from the get-go.
The current law permits customers to sign-up for their sports betting accounts from anywhere in the state.
Signing up for a mobile account is easy either online or in-person. In both cases, customers have to prove their identity and that they are 21 years or older.
Players then can deposit funds at the casino cage after they sign up, or via a range of online and third party methods. Typically, these include:
Withdrawals are equally simple; however, not all deposit methods are also withdrawal methods. Typically, a check withdrawal will arrive within a few days.
Once started, it takes only minutes to get used to the software and start placing bets. Until a bettor gets familiar with the app, it’s best to keep wagers small.
One innovation that sports bettors will enjoy is the welcome offer the mobile operators provide. Most operators will compete for customers by offering a cash bonus equal to the first deposit or a free bet of some type.
Customer acquisition is expensive, so these offers are essential recruiting tools. Don’t miss taking advantage.
In a very short period of time, Iowans have found themselves blessed with a plethora of choices for mobile sportsbooks. There are several apps available throughout the state.
However, it’s important to remember that each sportsbook app requires an initial registration and deposit at their land-based partner casinos. So, bear in mind the amount of travel you’ll have to undertake in order to get started.
DraftKings Sportsbook launched its app in Iowa in February 2020. The sportsbook and DFS giant brings a wealth of experience and innovation to the Hawkeye State, and visitors will not be disappointed with the offering.
There are actually three locations where Iowa players can start their journey with DraftKings. The three Wild Rose Casinos – in Clinton, Emmetsburg, and Jefferson – can each get players going with DraftKings accounts.
PointsBet was one of the first apps to launch in the Hawkeye State. The Australian company may not be a familiar brand name to most Iowans, but that’s soon to change.
One of the main reasons that PointsBet is on its way to becoming a household name is the company’s signature product, the Points Bet, allows players to leverage their winnings on spread bets drastically by paying them based upon their distance from the published spread.
William Hill is one of the largest and most widespread of any sportsbook operator in the world. So, it’s not a surprise that the company in blue and gold has extended its reach into the Hawkeye State.
Fittingly, William Hill may have the most opportunities to register and begin play of any of Iowa’s sportsbook apps. The company has deals with Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Isle of Capri in Bettendorf, Isle of Capri in Waterloo, and Lakeside Hotel Casino in Osceola.
Most Iowans are probably going to find that there is a William Hill location in the vicinity of wherever they are.
Elite is one of the lesser-known operations to open its doors for play in Iowa. However, don’t let the company’s under-the-radar status throw you off – there are plenty of reasons to give Elite a try.
Iowans who want to try a sportsbook app with a more personal touch can register at one of two locations. Elite is taking in new customers at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort in Riverside and the Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport.
Hard Rock Sioux City entered the sportsbook app fraternity in Iowa rather quietly. For such a well-known brand, the casino has kept a lower profile than one might imagine.
However, you can’t go wrong with a company that has sportsbooks in several states these days. Iowans can register at the location in Sioux City in order to get going there.
Q Sportsbook is another one of the smaller operations in Iowa and, indeed, the entire country. Like Elite and Hard Rock, its app functions as an outgrowth of the land-based operation.
So, most Iowa residents who would be familiar with Q Casino probably live in and around Dubuque. Since they’ll have to visit the location to register, that’s probably for the best.
Based out of the UK, Betfred arrived in Iowa a few months after making its American debut in Colorado.
Along with launching its online sportsbook, Betfred also debuted its retail operation at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort. One drawback, however, is that the mobile platform is not available as an Android or iOS app just yet.
Seemingly moving step-for-step alongside DraftKings, FanDuel has been among the most aggressive legal sports betting operators in the country.
Obviously as an established daily fantasy sports provider, FanDuel carries a recognizable and trustworthy brand, one that should help it become an industry leader in Iowa.
Iowa sports bettors who are looking to place a bet for the first time should check and see if a casino offers a welcome bonus or free bet.
Players sure and read the fine print on special promotions; there can be specific terms and conditions attached to every promo.
There are four broad categories of offers:
Each type offers a new way to make the sports betting experience more enjoyable. Check out our complete breakdown of each bonus, odds and free bet offers here.
Currently, in-game betting, aka in-play betting, is one of the most popular forms of sports betting. Available bets range from who will score next to what the points spread will be at the end of each quarter.
There are two types of in-game betting: updated bets and proposition bets.
If a bettor places a wager on his or her favorite team to win. Now gameplay has gone against him or her, and it looks like the bettor’s wager may lose. With in-game betting, the player can now hedge the bet by placing a wager on the opposition and reduce the chances of losing the entire bet.
Conversely, when it looks like the team is winning, the bettor can double-down on the wager.
Of course, the odds change as the game progresses.
The law allows existing gambling licensees to apply for a sports betting license. Currently, the IRGC licenses 19 state casinos. Here is an incomplete list of the current casinos and their corresponding sports betting partners:
Casino | City | Operator |
---|---|---|
Ameristar Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs | Penn National/Kambi |
Casino Queen Marquette | Marquette | |
Catfish Bend Casino | Burlington | PointsBet |
Diamond Jo Casino | Dubuque | FanDuel |
Diamond Jo Casino - Worth | Northwood | FanDuel |
Grand Falls Casino | Larchwood | Betfred |
Hard Rock Sioux City | Sioux City | Hard Rock |
Harrah's Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs | Caesars |
Horseshoe Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs | |
Isle of Capri | Bettendorf | William Hill |
Isle of Capri | Waterloo | William Hill |
Lakeside Hotel & Casino | Osceola | |
Prairie Meadows | Altoona | William Hill |
Q Casino | Dubuque | |
Rhythm City Casino Resort | Davenport | Elite/bet.works |
Riverside Casino & Golf Resort | Riverside | |
Wild Rose Casino & Resort | Clinton | DraftKings |
Wild Rose Casino & Resort | Emmetsburg | DraftKings |
Wild Rose Casino & Resort | Jefferson | DraftKings |
The ultra-low license fee of $75,000 will prove no barrier to entry for the existing casinos. The issue then boils down to whether the casinos want to invest in the infrastructure necessary to offer sports betting.
Iowa has a population of fewer than 3.2 million. Yes, out-of-state visitors will add to the market size, but there is no escaping that Iowa will be a relatively small sports betting market.
Not all of the licensed casinos will want the expense and management overhead of adding sports betting. On the other hand, the market is strongly competitive, and casinos may decide that this is an opportunity that they can’t afford to miss.
Setting up sports betting means partnering with a technology provider, either a pure platform provider such as Scientific Games, or an online brand like BetStars or 888.
Each casino can launch two “skins,” which means they can partner with two operators. Or a casino can launch one “skin” with its brand and the other with the partner’s brand.
The brands and technology partners that Iowa bettors can expect to see entering the market include:
DraftKings and FanDuel are well-known daily fantasy sports providers, but some of the others are foreign brands only visible in the New Jersey market at the moment.
That said, DraftKings, along with Rush Street Interactive brand BetRivers, partnered with Wild Rose Entertainment as an avenue toward Iowa sports betting.
Also getting in near the ground floor, UK-based Betfred debuted its sportsbook at Grand Falls Casino in February 2020.
There are major corporate partnerships already in place with many US casino groups, such as MGM’s deal with GVC. Caesars and Eldorado have just announced a merger that will see the two companies join forces for online sports betting around the US. They are partnered with William Hill, The Stars Group, 888 and Scientific Games.
Some Iowa casinos have already set up new partnerships themselves. The Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino has a partnership with William Hill and Catfish Bend Casino struck a deal with PointsBet.
There are plenty of ways to bet on the games:
Iowa offers 19 casinos to its residents and visitors. The largest of those, in terms of square footage and overall revenue, is Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona. Prairie Meadows offers patrons horse racing, 1,900 slot machines, a poker room and 13 varieties of table games, all spread over nearly 90,000 square feet of casino space. Customers can wager on live-action races or simulcast.
Additionally, customers can wager on horse racing via the off-track betting (OTB) locations in Iowa.
Iowa passed SF 617 just over a year after the Supreme Court overturned PASPA. PASPA made state-regulated sports betting illegal except for states that were already allowing it.
New Jersey brought the case that resulted in the Supreme Court decision, so it is only natural that it was the first state to host sports betting.
Iowa has moved relatively quickly to get its legislation on the books. An existing casino industry and only minor opposition from tribal gaming interests helped.
The law consists mainly of amendments to the existing Gambling Games Regulation. Key features include:
The American Gaming Association (AGA) thinks Iowa has produced excellent sports betting law.
AGA executive Sara Slane said:
“The state of Iowa has set its legal sports betting market up for success with a reasonable tax rate, mobile wagering, strong consumer protections and provisions that put responsible gaming at the forefront. Through the leadership of champions like Iowa Gaming Association President and CEO Wes Ehrecke, Iowans will now have a safe alternative to the illegal market that has thrived in the Hawkeye State and across the country …”
Iowa’s foray into legal gambling began with the criminal prosecution of a Catholic priest.
Back in 1971, the tiny Iowa town of North Buena Vista held its annual picnic on behalf of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. This event, a 40-year tradition, typically saw the use of a wheel of fortune, bingo, a dice table and some other small card games. The church also served beer for attendees, whose numbers swelled the town’s population from a meager 150 residents to more than 8,000 people each year.
However, the state attorney general decided to crack down, and by the end of the day, state agents confiscated all the gambling equipment. Father Carl Ruhland was charged with running a gambling house. Two weeks later, he entered a guilty plea and paid the $100 fine. What happened after that was astounding.
Iowans were enraged by the idea of a church picnic being raided and the town priest standing trial. The public outcry was so intense that the Iowa Legislature passed a resolution to repeal the state’s ban on gambling in 1972, a mere year later. Unsurprisingly, the resolution was affirmed in the general election vote that year and, thus, began Iowa’s journey to its respectable gambling array.
If the largest casino in the state tops out at 90,000 square feet, (Prairie Meadows), then residents won’t be getting the superlatives of the megaresorts in Las Vegas, Oklahoma, New Jersey or Connecticut. However, Prairie Meadows alone is reporting year-to-date revenues nearing $180 million, and two other properties, Ameristar II and Horseshoe Bluffs Run, are also north of $150 million for the year. For a state with more than 3 million residents, Iowans sure like to gamble — just in a laid-back, humble manner.
And to think, it all began with a Catholic priest getting in trouble with the law.
Stop and switch to a regulated legal sportsbook.
If you are using an offshore book, you have no legal protection whatsoever. In the regulated sports betting system in Iowa, you can be sure that your money is safe and the games you are playing are not rigged. There are responsible gaming measures to ensure you are gambling wisely.
If that’s not enough reasons to convince you, open a sports betting account and find out how much fun in-game betting provides. The offshore books don’t offer much in the way of live betting because they don’t have access to the real-time data that is used to set the odds.
Sadly, the new law only authorizes online sports betting. The Iowa Lottery has plans to allow online lottery ticket purchases, but online poker and casino games have to wait for more legislation.
Right now. Iowa sports betting is in full swing. If customers prefer online sports betting, they must first register accounts in-person at a casino.
No, you can set up an account online even if you are only visiting the state. However, you can only bet when you are inside Iowa’s state borders.
Basically any and all types of bets that are available in legal sports betting states such as New Jersey will most likely be available in Iowa.
Some of the most common bets are:
Customers can bet on anything sports-specific, including college sports and professional sports. This list includes a few of the sports offerings:
You must be 21 years or older with a valid ID.