As of May 2019, the state of Iowa has legalized Iowa sports betting. You can now sit at the comfort of your home or office and safely bet on your favorite team from your computer or smartphone as sports betting in Iowa is legal now.
Read on to know more about the best Iowa sports betting sites.
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Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Iowa?
The state of Iowa legalized sports betting in May 2019 and the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission in a meeting green signaled the final rules to take bets for the state’s initial run. The starting date was on August 15.
With sports betting being legal in Iowa, it sets to be one of the most prominent markets in sports betting as top sportsbook companies are looking to partner up with the local casinos in Iowa to get a piece of the new gambling market. This ushers a new form of revenue for the casinos and the state of Iowa itself as there is a 6.75% tax on the revenue generated from sports betting.
The legalization of sports betting was signed by Iowa’s Governor Kim Reynolds. The law allows any resident of the state who is 21 years old or older to place a wager on sporting events at any of the 19 casinos available in Iowa. They can bet online but they need to visit the casino which is partnered with the sports betting site at least once to verify their age.
What are the Best Sports Betting Sites in Iowa?
William Hill SportsBook
William Hill is one of the oldest in the betting business and the largest sportsbooks operator in Nevada. They were established in 1934 in the United Kingdom. William Hill started in the UK which later grew into a chain of betting shops all over the UK. Due to their success over the years, they expanded to offer online sports betting all around the world.
William Hill has a clear edge on other sports betting sites because of its enormous experience in the sports betting industry. In fact, they have successfully managed to go from a retail sportsbook to becoming a successful online sports betting site. Many of the top sportsbooks fail to make this leap as they are unable to make the betting process interactive and attractive enough. William Hill proves why it has been one of the top sportsbooks in the sports betting business with its ability to adapt to new generations of players.
Once you have an account, you can bet on major professional leagues, soccer, cricket, college sports, baseball and many more. In-play betting options are available for NHL games, MLB and NFL games, tennis, NA games and international soccer. Deposit methods include debit card, credit card, ACH check and in-person payment. $20 is the minimum deposit you can make.
For new customers, William Hill offers a “Bet $50, get $50” bonus that can be easily claimed.
Pros:
- Trusted sports betting site
- Legal in the USA
- Easy to interact
- Offers mobile and online betting opportunity
Cons:
- Betting choices are less
- In-play betting options are limited
- Should offer more methods for deposit
PointsBet
PointsBet offers traditional sports betting as well as a unique spread betting option where the more you are right the more you win.
Its users share online how much fun betting on PointsBet is. It is constantly updating its platform so that users have an engaging betting experience all the time. Users can bet on baseball, hockey, cricket, golf, cycling, boxing, soccer and other games.
The unique concept of spread betting on PointsBet can be applied to various game outcomes such as point total, spread bets on who’ll win the game, running yards for a running back, total passing yards for a certain quarterback, how many seconds it will take before the first scoring play, individual NBA player’s goal field percentage, winning margin and many more.
Aside from spread betting, point spreads, team props, player props, money lines, point total and game props are also available.
Its users also get to enjoy a simple rewards program. For fixed odds wagering, they can get 1 reward point for every $5 they’ve wagered. For parlay wagers, they can get 1 reward point for every $1 they’ve wagered. For pointsbetting wagers, they can get 1 reward point for every $1 win or lose. 250 points can be redeemed to get $2.50. Bettors with 100,000 points can get a bonus of up to $1,000.
Pros:
- Offers non-traditional method of betting
- More options to bet on
- Has a New Jersey license
Cons:
- Can lose more than the original bet
Elite SportsBook
Elite SportsBook is a mobile sportsbook which was established in August 2019. Many of the casinos in Iowa partnered with popular and established betting sites because of convenience and brand recognition.
It is an in-house betting site which is run and owned by Elite Casino Resorts, LLC. It has also partnered with three local casinos in Iowa which are Riverside Casino, Grand Falls Casino and Rhythm City Casino. Many admire Elite Sportsbook for the risk they have taken. By not partnering up with any big-name sportsbook operators, they will be running everything in-house. It supports pre-game wagers, in-play wagering, early cashout, teasers and parlays.
Unlike other sports betting sites, Elite Sportsbook doesn’t offer welcome bonuses to its new users.
Pros:
- Partnered with 3 native casinos
- Licensed in Iowa
- Pre-game and in-game betting is available
Cons:
- Betting market is limited
- Confusing navigation
- No live scores or stats while in-play betting
Iowa Sports Betting Apps
William Hill Mobile
William Hill is one of the top sports betting app in the world and it is one of the first to enter the sportsbook market of Iowa. It has already partnered up with three casinos namely, Prairie Meadows, Lakeside Casino and Isle Casino Bettendorf.
To create an account on the sports betting app, you first need to complete the mobile sign up form and bring the completed form in a mobile app activation location. You must bring at least one valid ID with you. Second, download the William Hill Iowa Sports Betting app. If ever you encounter installation issues, call William Hill’s support team at 1-855-754-1200. After opening the app, follow the initial steps you need to take for the signup process. Lastly, visit one of William Hill Iowa Full Service Book’s locations to successfully register your account.
Elite Sportsbook
Elite Sportsbook is now live and you can visit Riverside Casino, Rhythm City Casino or Grand Falls Casino to sign up. Through Elite Sportsbook, these three casinos also offer retail sportsbooks for in-person betting.
The mobile sports betting app is powered by Bet.works, which is a company that deals with business-to-business services related to regulated sports betting industry.
If you’re interested to create an account, you should keep in mind that in order to create an account at Elite Sportsbook an in-person registration is needed. You should visit one of its partner casinos then make deposits for you to place successfully place wagers.
PointsBet Mobile
PointsBet Mobile is now live and you may visit Catfish Bend Casino to create an account.
If you are looking for a sports betting app which is famous for thinking out of the box, then PointsBet Mobile is perfect for you. It offers players unique and interactive ways to bet on your favorite sports team.
The app is available for both Android and iOS devices. All betting options offered on the PointsBet website can also be accessed on mobile devices.
DraftKings Mobile
DraftKings Mobile still has not launched yet but it is expected to launch soon as it has already partnered with 3 casinos which are Wild Rose Jefferson, Wild Rose Clinton and Wild Rose Emmetsburg. If you are a daily fantasy sports fan, then this will be music to your ears.
Since DraftKings Mobile app is live in other US states, many bettors have already seen its clean and well-designed sports betting app. The homepage of the app presents a list of the available promos and popular bets. The app provides information about your outstanding bets, in-game scoring and everything else you need to bet on any sport you want.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook has partnered up with the local Boyd Gaming and Diamond Jo casinos. This is big news for the fans of daily fantasy sports as they will be able to bet with ease.
FanDuel’s mobile app can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices. By using the app, you can place bets, see sports you can bet on and manage your account. Upon loggin in, you will see the list of all popular wagers along with the odds of each outcome. There is also a notification area that displays FanDuel’s various offers, news updates and popular events.
Iowa Retail Sportsbooks List
- Ameristar III
- Catfish Bend
- Diamond Jo – Worth
- Grand Falls
- Harrah’s Council Bluffs
- Horseshoe Council Bluffs
- Isle of Capri
- Isle Waterloo
- Lakeside
- Prairie Meadows
- Q Casino
- Rhythm City
- Riverside
Iowa Sports Betting News
In October 2019, the second month after sports betting was legalized, Iowa sportsbooks received a total of $46.5 million in bets. According to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, this represents an almost 21 percent increase from the number of bets received in September 2019.
A total of $5.7 million net receipts have been reported by 18 licensed sportsbooks. From this, a total of $381, 379 in taxes was given to the state just for October.
Since sports betting has been legalized in Iowa on August 15, all sportsbooks reported that they handled a total of $93.6 million worth of bets, $7.7 million net revenue and $861,846 state taxes.
Max Bichsel, Vice President of Gambling.com Group, said that he thinks Iowa has a lot more potential to unlock. He stated that it is still an immature market and can significantly expand once online sports betting has become more common. He also expects that Iowa’s sports wagering market will grow this fall because it is the start of the prime sports betting time wherein professional football, hockey and basketball together with the start of the college basketball and football seasons will attract lots of interest in national playoffs and college bowls.
FAQs
What is the sports gambling law for Iowa?
Around December of 2017, Iowa Gaming Association started plans to start sports betting legislation, hoping that the federal prohibition of sports betting will be repealed. This plan came to fruition when the Supreme Court took down PASPA or the Professional and Amateur Sports Protect Act which made way for the lawmakers to act.
The first attempt on legalizing sports betting in Iowa was turned down in 2018. In 2019, they tried again which would bring in-person and online betting to Iowa. The lawmakers introduced SF 617 which would legalize sportsbooks and would allow local casinos to apply for mobile betting sites. The Iowa House and Senate both approve the bills. The Governor signed the bill which officially made sports betting legal in Iowa in May 2019.
How did Iowa sports betting become legal?
Sports betting were made legal in Iowa in May of 2019 after a law was signed by Governor Kim Reynolds. Sports betting started legally in Iowa on August 15, 2019.
How old do I have to be to place a bet?
You need to be 21 years old or above. You need to get approved by the partnered casino of the sports betting site which will verify your age before you can create an account and bet on sports that you like.
How many casinos offer sports betting in Iowa?
There are 19 casinos available in Iowa that can be licensed and each license cannot have more than two different brands under their license.
Can I bet on professional sports in Iowa?
Yes, you can bet on professional teams in Iowa except for in-state college teams.