Guide To Online Sportsbooks Iowa
In-person and online sports betting is live in Iowa. It opened for business in August 2019, just in time for the start of the college football and NFL seasons.
The state’s 19 commercial casinos as well as three of its four Native American gaming facilities can offer sports betting. Each licensed provider has the ability to accept sports bets on its property as well as online, and up to two different sportsbook apps can operate under each license.
Any eligible bettor interested in betting with online sportsbooks has multiple sportsbooks to choose to place their bets.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission regulates gambling in the state, and under the law Iowa has an effective 7.5% tax rate on revenue. That rivals Nevada’s 6.75% effective rate, the lowest among states. Tax rates range from 6.75% to Rhode Island’s 51% rate.
Iowa also recently announced it has approved DraftKings to offer real money Daily Fantasy Sports games. Several hundred thousand Iowa DFS players will be able to receive cash prizes for winning lineups. The regulatory approval between Iowa and DraftKings ended the games’ prohibition in one of the few remaining jurisdictions where they were illegal.
FanDuel has also earned regulatory review in Iowa and is working to offer real money games in the state.
Is Sports Betting Legal In Iowa?
Sports betting is legal in Iowa in person and through a mobile app. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which effectively banned sports betting, was unconstitutional in May 2018. It took Iowa less than one year to introduce new gambling legislation and about a year after the ban was lifted Gov. Kim Reynolds signed IA SF 617 into law.
Iowa launched retail and mobile sports betting on Aug. 15, 2019. Nearly half of the state’s retail and mobile sportsbooks took bets on the first day.
According to the law, Iowans must register in-person at a casino before they can bet online or through their betting apps. That requirement will last until Jan. 1, 2021. Once a bettor registers, they can place wagers from anywhere in Iowa via an app.
Iowa Online Sportsbooks And Their Partners
This table also includes which casinos have applied for sports betting licenses in Iowa, when licenses will be granted and whether any brands have partnered with them:
| Location | License | Partner Brand |
|---|---|---|
| Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs | Approved | Caesars DraftKings Sportsbook |
| Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel | Approved | Caesars DraftKings Sportsbook |
| WinnaVegas Casino Resort | Pending | TBD |
| Blackbird Bend Casino | Pending | TBD |
| Casino Queen Marquette | Pending | TBD |
| Wild Rose Casino & Resort Clinton | Approved | DraftKings; BetRivers |
| Wild Rose Casino & Resort Emmetsburg | Approved | DraftKings; BetRivers |
| Wild Rose Casino & Resort Jefferson | Approved | DraftKings; BetRivers |
| Riverside Casino & Golf Resort | Approved | Bet.Works |
| Rhythm City Casino Resort | Approved | Bet.Works |
| Q Casino | Approved | Unannounced |
| Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino | Approved | William Hill; PointsBet |
| Meskwaki Bingo & Casino | Pending | TBD |
| Lakeside Hotel & Casino | Approved | William Hill |
| Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo | Approved | William Hill |
| Isle of Capri- Bettendorf | Approved | William Hill |
| Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sioux City | Approved | GiG |
| Grand Falls Casino Resort | Approved | Bet.Works |
| Diamond Jo Casino – Dubuque | Approved | FanDuel Sportsbook; Play MGM |
| Diamond Jo Casino – Worth | Approved | FanDuel Sportsbook; Play MGM |
| Ameristar Casino Hotel – Council Bluffs | Approved | DraftKings |
| Catfish Bend Casino | Approved | PointsBet; Fanduel |
What to Consider When Choosing Iowa Betting Sites
Here are some things to consider when looking at your iowa betting sites:
- Free Bets, Bonuses & More
Online sportsbooks in Iowa will offer free bets, bonuses and more to attract you to their sites. This isn’t as clear-cut as it sounds, because you will have to satisfy certain betting requirements, typically a “rollover.” That means a player will have to bet a certain amount times their initial deposit, usually between 10X and 25x. So a bettor with an initial deposit of $100 and a 10X rollover would need towager $1,000 before they could withdraw funds. Still, a free bet is a free bet. - Sports and Odds
The first thing you need to do is find out whether the sportsbook in Iowa offers your preferred sports and events to bet on. For instance, the NFL is a given, but what about soccer or overseas horse racing? Next you need to examine how generous their odds are. Head to an odds comparison site, pick a sporting event and see how they stack up compared to the competition. - User Experience
Some online gambling brands offer betting sites and apps that work well, are easy to navigate and look great on handheld devices. Others don’t really come close. It’s simple: Some companies care about user experience and some don’t. Navigate sites and apps available in Iowa to see which ones appeal to you.
How Do You Find the Top Online Sportsbooks in Iowa?
Finding the best online sportsbook in Iowa is easy. But it still pays — literally and figuratively — to find the right sportsbook.
You can always look at a reliable source of sportsbook information, like Bookies.com, to research the options. You can read reviews of each site, learn about available bonuses and promotions and find out more about the key aspects of a brand, from its user experience to customer support.
What Events and Markets Are Offered at Iowa Betting Sites?
There are hundreds of betting markets, and Iowa sportsbooks offer a comprehensive selection. They cover key competitions and leagues, so bettors in Iowa can have a wager on the NFL, college football, NHL, NBA and other sports. Tennis, golf and soccer, especially international events, are also popular.
You can bet on college sports in Iowa, including the state’s popular teams like Iowa and Iowa State, but you can’t place individual player prop bets during games involving in-state schools.
Research Iowa betting sites and see which offer the events and markets you want.
Latest Iowa Sports Betting Numbers
| Retail | Mobile | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| December | $25.809M | $33.450M | $59.259M |
| November | $25.679M | $33.666M | $59.345M |
| October | $20.577M | $25.924M | $46.500M |
| September | $16.735M | $21.810M | $38.545M |
| August | $4.906M | $3.670M | $8.576M |
| 2019 Total | $93.705M | $118.521M | $212.226 |
LATEST NEWS: Iowa Sports Betting In December Nearly Identical To November
Gambling in Iowa - Timeline
2019
On May 20, Iowa officially legalized sports betting when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed SF 617, a bill regulating sports wagering within the state. The law allows licensed casino operators to offer wagering on professional and collegiate sports. In late October, the state approved DraftKings to offer real money DFS games. FanDuel approval is expected to follow shortly after.
2018
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May that the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which effectively banned sports betting, was unconstitutional. This lifted the federal ban, setting the stage for each state to maketheir own betting legislation.
2005
The Iowa Racing and Commission granted gambling licenses to multiple land-based casinos, including Wild Rose Emmetsburg, Diamond Jo Worth, IOC Black HawkCounty and Washington County Casino.
1991
Three Native American Indian tribal gaming compacts were negotiated, allowing tribal gaming facilities to open for business in Iowa.
1989
In July, Iowa passes legislation that permits riverboat gambling.
1985
Iowa starts to administer the state lottery.
1983
Iowa passes a law that permits qualified organizations to conduct pari-mutuel betting on horse and dog racing. After singing the bill, Gov. Terry Branstad appoints the state’s first-ever Racing and Gaming Commission.
1973
The state’s General Assembly authorizes specified individuals and organizations to conduct raffles and bingo games to raise funds for charitable purposes.
1972
Iowa repeals its constitutional provision that proclaims that no lottery shall be authorized by the state.
1857
The state constructs a new constitution that includes the exact same anti-gambling phrasing that banned lottery games from being offered in the state.
1846
Iowa prohibits gambling when its statehood is established, including a state constitutional amendment that banned lottery games.
