Iowa launches sports betting operations

Legal and regulated sports betting has arrived in Iowa.

Iowa has become the eleventh state to launch legal and regulated sports betting across the state.

The first wave of sportsbooks in the Hawkeye State opened at noon on Thursday. State-wide online wagering also launched on Thursday, making Iowa the fifth state to offer state-wide mobile sports betting.

In a first for the US sports betting market, Iowa has become the first state to launch land-based and online wagering at the same time. However, bettors must register their online accounts in person at a casino.

Where to bet on sports in Iowa

Legal sports betting in Iowa went live with eight land-based sportsbooks and William Hill’s online sportsbook. Here are the venues that currently offer sports betting in Iowa:

As previously mentioned, state regulations require bettors who wish to bet online to create an account at a land-based sportsbook before they can bet via a mobile app. Bettors, who are of legal betting age, will be required to provide some information to verify their identity.

Although William Hill is the only operator with a mobile app at launch, the sign-up process at other sportsbooks is likely to be very similar.

While the state’s sports betting regulations require bettors to create their accounts in person, this is only temporary. From 1 January 2021, bettors will be able to register remotely from anywhere within the state, eliminating the inconvenience of having to travel to a casino.

What is Bet.Works?

Bet.Works is a new B2B sports betting supplier that has been making waves in recent months with several high profile hirings from within the gambling industry.

Iowa is also the first US state that will have access to Bet.Works powered sportsbooks. Bet.Works will power the sportsbooks at Rhythm City and Riverside.

Bet.Works also made headlines earlier this year when it was announced it would help power theScore’s new sports betting app. Both companies are working to launch theScore’s sports betting app in New Jersey in time for football season.

Other sports betting brands coming to Iowa

Bettors in Iowa can expect to see several other high-profile sports betting brands enter the Iowa market in the coming months.

Under a market access deal with Penn National Gaming, theScore will launch its online sportsbook under the Ameristar Casino license.

The UK-based sportsbook BetFred will also be making an appearance in Iowa. Thanks to an agreement with Elite Casino Resorts, the English operator will power land-based operations at Grand Falls casino and launch its mobile app under the license.

DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook are also looking to enter the market very soon.

Sports betting in Iowa

Iowa’s Governor Kim Reynolds signed the state’s sports betting law back in May. With just 94 days between the signing of the bill and the launch of sports betting in the Hawkeye State, Iowa’s timeline to launch sports betting was one of the quickest in the US.

Under the state’s sports betting laws, residents and visitors must be at least 21 years of age and physically located within state lines before they can place a bet. Operators in the state are required to use geolocation technology to verify a customer’s location.

The only bet types that are prohibited under state law are proposition bets on in-state college teams.

On the financial front, a sports betting license costs $45,000 and operator revenue is taxed at a rate of 6.75%.

Each licensed venue can offer two online brands (Skins). This means that with 19 casinos in the state, there could be as many as 38 online sports betting options in the future.