Iowa Sports Betting Down Big In June
The summer slump was in full effect during June in Iowa, with double-digit declines in...
Online Sports Betting in
Iowa
Iowa was the 11th state to legalize sports betting and have online and in-person betting
Best Iowa online betting websites
Both DraftKings and BetMGM Sportsbook offer online sports betting in Iowa. Sign up today using our links below to get a bonus when opening a new account.
Rank
Sportsbook
Bonus
Rating
Visit
- Elite Casino Sportsbook
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- PointsBet Sportsbook
- Q Casino Sportsbook
- Hard Rock Sioux City Sportsbook
- Betfred
- FanDuel
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
There are other sports betting websites that have not entered the market yet, including Bet365, 888sport, to name a few. A timeline for the next operator to enter the market is unclear.
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The road to legal sports betting in Iowa
Iowa’s successful sports betting bill was actually the product of previous Senate submissions. However, in reality, the history of SF617 is the only thing that matters for sports fans and Iowa bookmakers.
February 2019: A new sports betting bill was introduced
SF366 was submitted to the Iowa Senate on February 25 as a way of introducing sports betting, tax, and a regulatory framework. It received a recommendation from the Committee the same day. By February 26, SF366 was referred to the Ways and Means under Committee under Senate Rule 38.
April 2019: The House passed the bill
SF366 eventually stalled but its momentum gave SF617 the chance to thrive. An initial meeting took place in April before a fiscal note was added in support of the bill. By April 22, the House had amended and passed the bill, meaning it moved back to the Senate for approval.
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May 2019: The Governor signed the bill and betting became legal
Thanks to previous support for SF366 and a positive vote by the House, it didn’t take long for the president and speaker of the Senate to give their approval. By signing the bill on May 6, SF617 was sent to Governor Reynolds.
Just seven days after clearing the Senate, Gov. Reynolds put pen to paper and made legal sports betting in Iowa a reality.
The bill that had a unique clause. Until January 2020, those who wanted to bet online in Iowa had to first register an account inside a licensed brick-and-mortar casino. This process made sports betting more restrictive compared to other states.
The American Gaming Association believes the bill strikes the right balance between consumer protection and commercial optimization because licensing conditions are less restrictive than in other states. In fact, when Reynolds signed off on SF617 it opened the door to both in-person and online betting.
As per the bill, local casinos can offer pre-event and in-play sports bets. What’s more, license holders will be allowed to operate two online betting websites.
August 2019: The first sportsbooks launched
The first sportsbooks in Iowa were launched on August 15, 2019. Several of them opened retail-only sportsbooks, however, others launched mobile sports betting apps in Iowa that same day. William Hill was the first major online operator to open for business in the state, but more operators are expected to join the Iowa sports betting industry over time.
January 2021: The in-person registration requirement was lifted
The in-person registration requirement for online sportsbooks ended on the very first day to start out the New Year. Other online sportsbooks such as PointsBet and BetMGM also launched and took advantage of this new rule immediately.