State of Play in Iowa
Sports Betting in Iowa
Iowa began launching online sports betting sites in August 2019. More than a dozen different sports betting brands offer legal online wagering in the Hawkeye State.
Daily fantasy sports sites (DFS) are also legal to Iowa players.
Sportsbooks in Iowa
Q&A
- Can I bet on college sports in Iowa? Yes, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission allows betting on college sporting events, which includes betting on in-state college teams. This is important as there are no major professional sports teams located in the state of Iowa.
- Can I bet on sports online in Iowa? Absolutely, and Iowa online sports betting is the most popular to place a wager on sports. Both retail and mobile betting are available, but it is the online sportsbooks that generate most of the sports betting action.
- Can I use FanDuel Sportsbook Iowa? Yes, and FanDuel Sportsbook is one of the most popular options when it comes to online sports betting in Iowa. FanDuel has partnered with the Diamond Jo Casino to offer online sports betting, but it wasn’t one of the first online sportsbooks to go live. In the United States, FanDuel is the online market leader.
- Can I bet using BetMGM in Iowa? Yes, BetMGM has partnered with the Diamond Jo Worth Casino to be able to offer sports betting in the Hawkeye State. BetMGM is a property of MGM Resorts International, and it has emerged as one of the leaders in this industry.
- Why should I trust legal online sportsbooks? The biggest reason to trust legal online sportsbooks in Iowa is the fact that each site has to have a license with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. This also requires each site to partner with a retail casino, making it a two-step process. Iowa has been able to attract some of the top names in the industry.
Methodology
Iowa Sports Betting
Despite a lack of professional teams, the Iowa sports betting industry persists as a successful market. More than a dozen online sportsbooks offer legal wagering in the Hawkeye State.
Iowa Sports Betting: Popular Teams
Iowa Hawkeyes
Since Iowa is not home to any major professional teams, the Iowa Hawkeyes are the most popular team in the state. Football and basketball are the two most popular sports to wager on, and both teams have had recent success. The Hawkeyes men’s basketball team won the 2022 Big Ten Tournament title.
Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State University is the other major college in the state, and it is also known for football and basketball. Iowa State has a major rivalry with Iowa in both sports, but this school hasn’t had as much success in either sport.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a popular team in Iowa, as the Iowa Cubs are a minor league affiliate in Des Moines. The Cubs have a massive following throughout the country, but it’s especially true in Iowa. Chicago last won the World Series in 2016, ending a drought of more than 100 years.
Minnesota Vikings
There are two popular NFL teams in Iowa, as football is the most popular sport to bet on. One of those teams is the Minnesota Vikings, and they are a team that competes in the NFC North Division. Minnesota is still looking for its first-ever Super Bowl victory.
Green Bay Packers
Another NFC North team, the Green Bay Packers are also popular in the state of Iowa. Green Bay has had plenty of recent success under quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. The Packers last won the Super Bowl in 2011.
Iowa Sports Betting Legalization
Lawmakers in the state of Iowa were able to pass a bill to legalize both sports betting and daily fantasy sports in late April 2019. By mid-May, Governor Kim Reynolds had signed that bill into law, and the next step was setting up the industry.
Once the bill was officially signed, casinos began searching for online sports betting partners, and they also worked on setting up retail sportsbooks on-site. Everything was in place to launch sports betting, which officially occurred on August 15, 2019.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is in charge of overseeing this industry, and it actually started working behind the scenes in 2018. This allowed for the industry to launch quickly, much quicker than other states have been able to pull off.
There are 19 casinos in Iowa, and each of those casinos are allowed to apply for two online skins. This means that there could potentially be 38 online sportsbooks in the state, but it will be a long time before it gets to that amount.
Iowa Online Sportsbooks
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings used to be known only as a DFS operator, but it is now a massive sports betting company. There are three Wild Rose properties in Iowa in which DraftKings offers retail betting, and there is a mobile app as well. The retail sportsbook launched on October 3, 2019, and online betting became available on February 19, 2020.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook is the online leader in the country, and it’s a big name in Iowa as well. FanDuel has not always been available in Iowa, though, as the launch didn’t occur until September 9, 2020. Diamond Jo is the retail casino partner of FanDuel in Iowa.
BetRivers
BetRivers is a product of Rush Street Gaming, and that company is a big name in the U.S. sports betting industry. For its Iowa launch, BetRivers took over the second online skin offered by the Wild Rose Casino, and the sportsbook went live on January 4, 2021. There is no retail betting offered by BetRivers in the state.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook has a massive presence in Iowa as it has actually partnered with five different retail casinos. The online site and mobile app first went live on August 15, 2019, and Caesars also offers retail betting at the site of all of its partners.
Barstool Sportsbook
Barstool Sportsbook launched in November 2021 in Iowa, in partnership with Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs.
PointsBet
PointsBet is based out of Australia, but it didn’t take long before this company made a push in Iowa. PointsBet first went live on November 16, 2019, after partnering with the Catfish Bend Casino.
Bally Bet
Bally Bet first launched in Iowa on June 29, 2021, after partnering with the Elite Casino Resort in Grand Falls. This was the second online skin used by that casino, and Bally Bet does not offer retail betting in the state.
Betfred Sportsbook
Betfred Sportsbook has a license through the Grand Falls Casino, and the online sportsbook launched on September 10, 2020. Retail sports betting was available through this partnership as well at first, but that is no longer the case.
BetMGM
BetMGM is one of the online sports betting leaders, and it was able to go live in Iowa on January 4, 2021, just after remote registration became available. BetMGM has a partnership with the Diamond Jo Worth Casino, and this site is known for having terrific promotions.
Betway
Betway is an international sports betting operator, but it has made a strong push throughout the United States. This company was able to offer online sports betting in Iowa on October 8, 2021, after partnering with the Wild Rose Casino. No retail sports betting is offered from Betway.
Circa Sportsbook
The Circa Sportsbook is a massive name in Las Vegas, Nevada, but it has also become a big name in Iowa. This became a legal betting option in the state on October 1, 2021, after partnering with the Diamond Jo Casino.
DRF Sportsbook
The DRF Sportsbook is the latest online option in Iowa, as the launch occurred on January 25, 2022. DRF is partnered with the Lakeside Casino, and that location has had retail betting since August 15, 2019.
Elite Sportsbook
Elite Sportsbook is not a big name across the United States, and the same can be said for Iowa as well. This site did go live on August 27, 2019, and it has three casino partners in the state.
Fubo Sportsbook
The Fubo Sportsbook is one of the newest options in Iowa, and throughout the country, for that matter. The Casino Queen Marquette is the retail casino partner of Fubo, and this site went live for the first time on September 23, 2021.
Q Sportsbook
The Q Casino chose to launch its own sportsbook, and the Q Sportsbook first went live in Iowa on November 12, 2019. Retail sports betting started at the Q Casino on August 27, 2019.
Unibet
Unibet Sportsbook is one of the biggest names in international sports betting, and it’s now available in the state of Iowa. Unibet went live on September 1, 2021, in Iowa after partnering with Harrah’s Council Bluffs. This operator is only offering online sports betting in the state.
Best Iowa Online Sportsbooks
Iowa Retail Sportsbooks
- Ameristar Casino: The Ameristar Casino is located in Council Bluffs, IA, on the Missouri River. Retail sports betting first launched at the Ameristar Casino on August 15, 2019, and the casino has since partnered with theScore Bet to launch online sports betting.
- Catfish Bend Casino: The Catfish Bend Casino is located in Burlington, IA, and it is a property of Great River Entertainment. Retail sports betting launched at Catfish Bend on August 15, and PointsBet Sportsbook is the online sports betting, partner.
- Grand Falls: The Grand Falls Casino is owned and operated by Elite Casino Resorts, and there have been some massive upgrades at this location. Larchwood is the home of the Grand Falls Casino, and the Elite Sportsbook launched retail sports betting on August 15, 2019.
- Harrah’s Council Bluffs: Harrah’s Council Bluffs is on the Missouri River, and it is just minutes from Omaha, Nebraska. Harrah’s is one of the many partners of Caesars Sportsbook, and both online and retail sports betting was offered on August 15, 2019.
- Horseshoe Casino: Caesars Entertainment operates the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and this is a massive property. Retail betting first began on August 15, 2019, and online betting is also available through Caesars.
- Isle Casino Bettendorf: The Isle Casino Bettendorf is located in the Quad Cities, which is just across the border from Illinois. Retail sports betting first began here on August 15, 2019, and Caesars Sportsbook is the partner.
- Isle Casino Waterloo: There is another Isle Casino property in Waterloo, and Caesars Sportsbook is also the sports betting partner at this location. This is another casino that first offered sports betting on August 15, 2019.
- Lakeside Casino: Affinity Gaming owns and operates Lakeside Casino, which is located in Osceola, Iowa. Retail sports betting first began on August 15, 2019, but the partnership with DRF Sportsbook began on January 25, 2022.
- Prairie Meadows: The Prairie Meadows Casino is located in Altoona, IA, which is close to Des Moines. This is another casino that began offering retail sports betting on August 15, 2019, through a partnership with Caesars Sportsbook.
- Rhythm City Casino: The Rhythm City Casino is another property owned by Elite Casino Resorts, and launched sports betting on August 15, 2019. Rhythm City is located in Davenport, IA and the Elite Sportsbook offers retail betting on-site.
- Riverside Casino: The Riverside Casino is the third property owned by Elite Casino Resorts that offered retail sports betting on August 15, 2019, through Elite Sportsbook. This casino is located in Riverside, IA, which is about 20 miles from Iowa City.
- Q Casino: The Q Casino is located in Dubuque, IA, and it is actually owned and operated by the city. The Q Casino launched the Q Sportsbook on August 7, 2019, and it became an online option on November 12, 2019.
- Diamond Jo Casino: The Diamond Jo Casino is one of two Iowa properties that are owned and operated by Boyd Gaming. Retail sports betting at Diamond Jo first went live on August 29, 2019, and this property is located in Dubuque, IA. FanDuel is the sports betting partner at this location.
- Diamond Jo Worth: The second property owned by Boyd Gaming is the Diamond Jo Worth Casino in Northwood, IA. BetMGM is the sports betting partner of this location, and it also first offered retail sports betting on August 29, 2019.
- Hard Rock Sioux City: The Hard Rock is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and the Hard Rock Sportsbook is featured on-site. Retail sports betting first began on September 3, 2019.
- Wild Rose Casinos (Clinton, Emmetsburg, Jefferson): Wild Rose Entertainment owns and operates three properties in Iowa, and they are in Clinton, Emmetsburg, and Jefferson. DraftKings is the sports betting partner at each site, and all three locations first offered a retail sportsbook on October 3, 2019.
Iowa Online Sports Betting Details
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission oversees and regulates sports betting in the state, but most of the sports betting rules were in the initial law. The legal sports betting age in Iowa is set at 21 years of age, and that is pretty standard throughout the United States.
Betting on in-state college teams is allowed, but there is one major restriction when it comes to this form of betting. Collegiate prop betting cannot be offered, but the normal single-game wagers can be.
All of the casinos in Iowa are eligible to offer retail sports betting, and they each have two online skins as well. These online skins can be used to partner with sports betting companies, and there are no online-only licenses available.
Iowa does not require sportsbooks to use official league data, like a requirement in some other states. Sports betting revenue is taxed at a rate of just 6.75%, which is one of the lowest rates in the U.S.
Getting Started at Iowa Sports Betting Apps
How to Register At an Iowa Sports Betting App
Registering for a sportsbook account in Iowa used to require a trip to a retail sportsbook in a casino. That rule was in effect up until January 1, 2021, when the in-person registration requirement went away.
Remote registration is now available, and it can be done online or through the mobile app. The first step is to download the app, and those can usually be found on the App Store or the Google Play store.
For the mobile apps that can’t be found on the Google Play store, the sportsbooks will provide a link to download on their site. From there, you will simply have to submit some personal information, and your account will be set up.
Making Your Initial Deposit
After you are signed up at the sportsbook, then your next step will be to make a deposit into your account. You will find a long list of deposit options available to you, and you can simply choose whichever one you like the best.
Most of the deposit options that are listed below will be available at every site, but each sportsbook can choose its own list. Once the deposit is made, the money should be in your account almost immediately.
Here are some of the most common deposit options you will see at sportsbooks in Iowa:
- Credit/Debit Card
- PayPal
- Online Bank Transfer
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Prepaid Card
- PayNearMe
- Cash at Casino Cage
Be sure to check out BetChicago before making your initial deposit, as there will be bonus codes that can help you unlock the best offers.
Most Popular Betting Options
- Spread: Probably the most common bet that is placed is what is known as a spread bet. Spread betting is usually what most bettors are referencing when they are discussing the lines and odds of a sporting event. A spread line adds points to the underdog’s final score, and subtracts that same amount from the favorite’s final score.
- Totals: A total bet is another popular wager that is placed, and this bet has nothing to do with the winner of a game. Totals betting focuses on the combined number of points scored in a game, and this can be adjusted depending on the sport. You’ll also hear people call this an “over/under.”
- Moneyline: A moneyline wager is a great option for those that are just getting started in sports betting. This type of bet can really be used with any sport, and simply picking the winner is all that is required to win.
- Parlays: A parlay is a wager of at least two single bets that are rolled into one big bet. A parlay bet can include as many bets or “legs” that a bettor chooses, but it could be capped at a certain number. Parlay bets can combine different betting options and bets from different sports.
- Props: Props betting is a unique form of wagering that usually looks at certain statistics or specific events that occur within a game. This used to be a betting type reserved for the Super Bowl, but that is no longer the case.
- Futures: A futures bet is extremely different from the other bets on this list because this is not a wager on just one single game or event. Most future betting options are offered on the eventual league champion or trying to predict how awards voting will go.
- In-Play Betting: In-Play betting is also called live betting, and this is a wager that is made while a sporting event is taking place. Futures bets cannot be placed live, but the rest of the betting options discussed on this page can be.
How to Make a Withdrawal
The process of making a withdrawal is similar to making a deposit, except this time, you will be receiving money instead of giving it away. This money won’t be available to you right away, but it should be there in a short amount of time.
Just like with deposit options, each site can choose what withdrawal options are available. Here are some of the most common withdrawal methods that you will see offered:
- Cash at Casino Cage: Making a trip to the retail sportsbook at the casino might require some travel, but you will also receive your money the quickest. Each sportsbook will have a teller on-site that will hand you your winnings that you have earned.
- PayPal: PayPal is usually the second-fastest way to receive your winnings, as long as you have your PayPal account linked to the sportsbook. Some sportsbooks can process this request in a matter of hours, and then you can withdraw that amount however you choose.
- Online Bank Transfer: An online bank transfer will have to be processed by the sportsbook and by the bank, and this process will take a couple of days. This is a very secure way to get your funds from a sportsbook.
- Prepaid Card: If a sportsbook offers a prepaid card, then this is another great withdrawal method to choose. The sportsbook will then send your winnings back to the prepaid card, and you can simply do what you want to do with that money.
- ACH/eCheck: You can also choose to receive your winnings in the form of an e-check, and this could take 2-3 days to receive. You will have to provide the sportsbook with some information when looking to use this as a withdrawal method.