IowaSportsbet.com exists for sports betting and we cover all aspects of the online betting industry in Iowa, including the top sportsbooks and betting sites and related news. Iowa Sportsbet is fanatical about the NBA, NFL, MLB and even niche sports like NASCAR. Basically if it’s sports event that interests Iowans we will cover it. Happy betting!
An overview of sports betting in Iowa
Iowa was one of the first states in the Midwest to legalize sports betting, doing so in August of 2019. That was not very long after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in May of 2018, which legalized sports betting on a state by state basis. As of July 2020, 13 of the 19 land-based casinos in Iowa offer sports betting online through six online sportsbooks. All of the sportsbooks are state regulated by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.
The state regulated Iowa sportsbooks not only offer many sports to bet on and many betting markets but offer killer bonuses and promotions as well as mobile gaming right through your browser or a downloadable apps. While players must register for a mobile sportsbook account in-person at a land-based casino or sportsbook in Iowa that will change on January 1, 2021 where players can sign up remotely. Our article will guide you through everything you need to know about online betting sites in Iowa.
Iowa betting sites online
All of the top Iowa sportsbooks online are overseen and licensed by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. All of the sportsbooks in the Hawkeye State have to be partnered with land-based casinos. For example DraftKings is partnered with the three Wild Rose Casinos, PointsBet sportsbook is partnered with Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington, and William Hill sportsbook is partnered with the four casinos of Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino, Lakeside Casino, Isle Casino Waterloo and Isle Casino Bettendorf.
Here are the six state regulated sportsbooks of July 2020 in Iowa and their date of launch:
- DraftKings Sportsbook – February 2020
- PointsBet – November 2019
- Hard Rock Sioux City sportsbook – December 2019
- Q Casino sportsbook – November 2019
- Elite sportsbook – August 2019
- William Hill – August 2019
Betting on Sports from Iowa in 2020
The USA is a hub of professional sports having some of the biggest leagues the world over. There is a ton of betting interest for those sports as well as many others that the state regulated Iowa sportsbooks post odds on.
The top Iowa sportsbooks not only have many sports to bet on but there is no lack of betting markets as well. Add to the fact the solid bonus and promotions that they offer you can really pad your betting bankroll. On top of that all of the regulated sportsbooks have a wide array of banking methods, 24/7 customer service, and top-notch security.
This section on Iowa sports betting sites can show you all that they have to offer with a quick overview and also articles pertaining to betting and betting strategies.
NBA Betting
There is no NBA team in Iowa but that does not mean that NBA betting is not popular in the Hawkeye State. The state is the home of the Iowa Wolves, which is the NBA G-League team associated with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The top basketball league in the world has fans the world over and that extends to Iowa as well. At all of the state regulated sportsbooks you will be pleased to find many NBA betting options.
The league has two conferences in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, and they battle it out over an 82-game season. Eight teams from each conference make the playoffs, which last two months. Then for the championship series in June there is a best of seven-game series where the top team from the East and West face off for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
NHL Betting
You would not think in the Midwest hockey is very popular but the action on the ice is. While there is no NHL team in the state there are the the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Des Moines Buccaneers, Des Moines Buccaneers, Sioux City Musketeers, Waterloo Black Hawks, which are all tier 1 junior hockey teams in the USHL, and the Iowa Wild in the AHL.
The NHL is still the big bet at the Iowa sportsbooks with tons of betting action available for the season, which runs from October through June. Not only is there the NHL betting action but bonuses and promotions for the season and especially when the playoffs and Stanley Cup roll around. There are 31 teams in the NHL in the Eastern and Western Conferences all battling it out for the prized Stanley Cup trophy awarded to the champion of the season.
NFL Betting
The NFL is the top football league in the United States and also the biggest betting sport in America. The league is also catching a lot interest and betting interest the world over in the last few years. There are two conferences in the AFC and NFC where at the end of the playoffs the two best teams from that conference fight it out for the Lombardi Trophy, which is given to the Super Bowl winner.
The betting markets for the NFL are extensive and with games Sunday, Monday, and Thursday there is always pigskin betting action available. All of the Iowa sportsbooks have NFL bets available as well as lucrative bonuses and promotions, especially for the granddaddy of them all in the Super Bowl, which is held in the beginning of February.
MLB Betting Sites
Iowa does not have a Major League Baseball team but there are some minor league teams such as the Iowa Cubs (Cubs class AAA affiliate), Clinton LumberKings (Mariners class A affiliate), Burlington Bees (A’s class A affiliate), and the Quad Cities River Bandits (Cardinals class A affiliate). Baseball is popular in the state as is baseball betting on the top dog in Major League baseball.
Iowa sportsbooks have odds posted for every single game during the season, which is impressive since every team plays a 162-game season from April until October. Not only that but there are more betting markets available for the playoffs and the World Series where you can also find some great bonuses and promotions available.
College sports betting
Iowa is a little different than several other states that have legal sports betting. Many states that have legal sports betting do not allow for betting on college games. That is not the case for Iowa, which is big considering Iowa and Iowa State football and basketball are huge in the state as is Northern Iowa and Drake basketball. Iowa sportsbooks will have odds posed for collegiate games where Iowa teams are taking part with the only exception being there are no in-game proposition bets available for college games.
Overview of Legal Gambling & Wagering in Iowa
Iowa was one of the first states in the Midwest to legalize sports betting but as of July 2020 there are no state regulated online gambling sites or online poker rooms. There are many land-based casinos and card rooms in the Hawkeye State and on top of that Iowa residents do not need to fear prosecution when playing at offshore gaming sites.
Also read our handy guides to sports betting in Iowa:
- Iowa sports betting promo codes
- Iowa bonus bet offers
- New online sportsbooks in Iowa
- Free bets at Iowa bookmakers
- What Iowa sportsbook has the best odds?
- Top Iowa betting sites
Iowa Horse Betting
In 1983 pari-mutual wagering on horses was legalized in Iowa and in 1985 was offered at several of the tracks around the state. The first commercial racetrack in Iowa was Prairie Meadows, which opened in 1989 and it also opened a casino in 1995. Now the track is the only one in the state that has live horse races and wagering. Usually, for four days a week there are thoroughbred, quarter and mixed meets available from May until September.
Prairie Meadows also offers simulcasting and wagering onsite year around where players can wager and watch live races. There are also a few off-track betting sites located in Iowa such as at Q Casino and the Wild Rose Casino – Clinton. As mentioned before while offshore gaming is technically illegal in Iowa state residents can gamble at offshore gaming sites, online casinos, poker rooms, racebooks, and sportsbooks, without fear of prosecution from state authorities.
Timeline of sports betting in Iowa
- 1992:
Federal government introduces Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which bans betting on sports in America. - May 2018:
Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in May of 2018, which legalized sports betting on a state by state basis. - February 2019:
Bill SF366 was submitted to the Senate in Iowa in late February. The bill was to usher in legal sports betting in the state as well as having a tax and regulatory framework for the sports betting industry. The bill was added to the calendar after reading under Rule 28. The same day as the reading in the state senate the Committee recommended it. On February 26 the bill was given to the Ways and Means under Committee under Senate Rule 38. - April 2019:
Bill SF366 stalled and eventually failed but it had significant backing, which led to bill SF617. There was a meeting at the end of April to finalize the wording of the bill and to add a fiscal note to support it, On April 22 the Iowa House amended the bill and then passed it and after that the bill was sent to the Iowa Senate in order for approval. - May 2019:
With the significant support that bill SF366 had and the positive vote for bill SF617 that bill was quickly approved by the president and speaker of the Senate. The bill was signed on May 6 and then was sent to Governor Kim Reynolds. Only a week later Reynolds signed the bill into law legalizing sports betting in Iowa. - August 2019:
On August 15 the first sportsbooks in Iowa launched. Some were only land-based while other online sportsbooks were launched on the same day as well. William Hill was the first of the big sportsbook operators to begin taking sports bets in Iowa and others soon followed. - February 2020:
One of the biggest sportsbooks and the biggest fantasy sports site in DraftKings launched its online sportsbook in. - January 1, 2021:
Live in-person registration will no longer be needed to open a mobile sportsbook account, as people can start to open an account remotely.
Iowa Sports Betting Laws 2020
Iowa became the 11th state in the United States to legalize sports betting when bill SF617 was signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds. The Hawkeye state was rather quick to act to legalize sports betting after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned by the Supreme Court in May of 2018. This paved the way for legal sports betting on a state by state basis.
The overturning of the PASPA opened the floodgates for states to legalize sports gambling. Delaware became the first state to legalize sports betting on June 5, 2019 soon followed by New Jersey on June 14. As of July 2020 there are 23 states in America that have legal sports betting. BettingPlanet.com will keep you updated as more information about American sports betting and Iowa sports betting is available.
18 of the 19 land-based casinos in Iowa have a sportsbook and the last casino in the Casino Queen Marquette is expected to open one in the summer of 2020. Some of the biggest sportsbook operators the world over have books in the Hawkeye State including William Hill, FanDuel, BetFair, and DraftKings. A fun fact about Iowa casinos are that they are all based on Native American land.
The Iowa casinos that have sportsbooks are:
- Ameristar
- Catfish Bend
- Isle Bettendorf (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
- Isle Waterloo (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
- Lakeside (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
- Prairie Meadows (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
- Rhythm City
- Riverside
- Harrah’s
- Horseshoe
- Q Casino (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
- Hard Rock (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
- Diamond Jo Dubuque
- Diamond Jo Worth
- Wild Rose Clinton (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
- Wild Rose Emmetsburg (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
- Wild Rose Jefferson (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
- Grand Falls (Land-based and Online Sportsbook)
Online Gambling in Iowa 2020
While sports betting and online sports betting is legal in Iowa there are no online casinos or poker rooms that are regulated by the state. However, there are many legitimate and licensed offshore online casinos and poker rooms that accept players from the U.S. Iowa residents will not be prosecuted by authorities, state or federal, for playing at offshore gaming sites.
Online Gambling Laws in Iowa
According to existing statutes online gambling is not explicitly illegal. This is for online poker and online casino gaming as well as online sports betting at sites that are not state regulated. Sports wagering online at the Iowa regulated online sportsbooks is explicitly legal with the passing of bill SF617.
Iowa has a very loose interpretation for the definition of gambling, and it could be the case that someone gambling online could be charged with doing so. According to Section 725.7 of the Iowa state code gambling is defined as, “Participating in a game for any sum of money or other property of any value, or making any bet.”
If an Iowa resident were charged with a gambling violation it would be a light misdemeanor and this is the case for a second and third offense as well. However, no person has ever been charged in the state for gambling online.
Iowa lawmakers have not addressed the question of online betting. There were bills in three straight years (2012-2015) to regulate online gambling but they all failed. The only existing law in the state that deals with online gambling is associated with a law for the operation of an illegal casino. Bettors in Iowa will not be prosecuted for gambling online.
Online Gambling Age Limits
At the land based casinos and card rooms and state regulated online sportsbooks in Iowa the legal gambling age is 21 years old. However, for bingo and pari-mutual wagering the gaming age is 18. For offshore online casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks the gambling age is 18.
Offshore Online Casinos in Iowa
Players in Iowa are limited to be within the state to gamble at the state regulated online sportsbooks. However, with no state regulated online casinos players in Iowa must play at offshore online casinos. There are many of them that are licensed and accept players from the U.S.
You can check out a huge range of these online casinos on our US online casinos page. It is important that you know that you should only play at licensed and secure offshore online casinos. Because of that it is always a good idea to read our extensive reviews and find out why we recommended these gaming sites.
Iowa Licensed Sportsbooks
After sports betting was legalized in Iowa in May of 2019 all of the land based casinos could have an online sportsbook. Some of the bigger online sportsbooks such as William Hill and DraftKings are already in business in the Hawkeye State and more are sure to follow.
Offshore Sports Betting Sites
Even with state regulated online sportsbooks in Iowa players from the state can still gamble at offshore sports betting sites. There are many of them online that are licensed and accepts players from the U.S.
Typically, the offshore sportsbooks will have more betting options when it comes to more popular international sports and this is especially the case for soccer. However, the state regulated sportsbooks still have many sports to bet on and many betting markets. There are several sportsbooks which accept US and Iowa gamblers and you can place a bet on local and international sports here.