Iowa Sports Betting
Iowa swiftly authorized sports betting in May 2018, following the lifting of the federal ban by the US Supreme Court after overruling the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Since August 2019, legal IA gambling has gone live.
In Iowa, you are permitted to gamble online and offline. Currently, online players need to visit an offline sportsbook retail site before wagering on the internet to verify their accounts. In January 2021, when mobile registration comes into force, this law will expire. To bet on sports in Iowa, you need to be 21 years of age.
This page contains the leading Iowa sportsbooks and gambling applications, as well as all the essential details bettors must know before heading to action in the State of Hawkeye.
Best Online Betting Sites in Iowa
| Sportsbook | Description | Bonus | Site | Overall Rating |
| DraftKings | DraftKings is now one of the leading brands for legal US sports betting. DraftKings offers top-class applications as well as multiple retail locations to place your bets in person if you are interested in sports betting in Iowa. | Up to $1,000 Credit | www.draftkings.com | Rated 5/5 |
| PointsBet | PointsBet was launched in the United States in 2019 and rapidly became one of the quickest growing sportsbooks in America. The more your bet, the more you win on PointsBet, one of the topmost betting applications in Iowa with a unique PointsBetting feature. | $1,000 Risk-Free Bets | www.pointsbet.com | Rated 5/5 |
| William Hill | William Hill, an acclaimed sportsbook brand worldwide, has opened in the US. Iowa gamblers can also find multiple deals and the largest futures, props and in-play betting markets in the business at William Hill’s sportsbook. | £30/€30 of free bets | www.williamhill.com | Rated 4/5 |
Iowa Sports Betting in Brief
In the world of legal sports gambling, Iowa was an early adopter. In August 2019, it was among the first midwest states to legalize both online and retail betting.
The state has adopted a quantifiable and clear market implementation strategy, with online bettors mandated to register their accounts in person before January 2021. Once this short term hybrid model concludes, the Hawkeye State is expecting a huge sports gambling boom. The comparatively low tax rates and licensing charges seem to be attractive to all major operators.
Iowa is seeing some action, even with the rule in place for every bettor to drop by a casino to place their first gamble. In the first half of 2020, despite the COVID-19 Pandemic keeping casinos closed, a sports betting handle was $355,310,437 was obtained in a sports betting handle as per the revenue records published by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.
Indeed, the state has a demand for online betting, which would be addressed only after remote registration begins. Over 80% of bets in mature online markets such as those in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are from mobile betting applications, and we predict that Iowa will eventually have the same figures.
Whatever gadget you choose to use, it is essential to select a legal sportsbook for a secure and pleasant gambling experience in Iowa. Hundreds of hours have been devoted by our sportsbook reviewers for reviewing online betting websites and applications from across the world.
The legal platforms in Iowa for online sports wagering is one of the best we have encountered.
Best Sports Betting Sites in Iowa Sports:
- DraftKings
- PointsBet
- William Hill
Thanks to their great chances, excellent promotions and fantastic user interface, these IA Betting sites have obtained our support.
All of them also provide a well-crafted betting application that simplifies and streamlines mobile betting in Iowa.
Iowa Betting Applications and Mobile Betting: What You Must Know
Suppose you want to wager on any of your preferred sports from anywhere across the world; in that case, Iowa sports betting applications are the most convenient option.
Let’s face it – you are always streaming sports using your mobile phone, looking at the latest sports news and chatting with your mates about it.
So there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be able to bet on it from your mobile phone or tablet.
Iowa’s finest sportsbooks were the first to make use of mobile platforms. You can conveniently look through the probabilities and alternatives to bet, whether you bet on your smartphone or computer.
The best IA betting applications are also designed to deliver swift flash notifications to facilitate live, in-play betting, which is extremely prevalent on online sportsbooks.
You can place bets remotely irrespective of your current location after you have personally verified your account at a retail partner site.
These are Iowa’s leading sports betting apps:
| Betting App | Verify At: |
| DraftKings | • Wild Rose Casino & Resort in Clinton, IA
• Wild Rose Casino & Resort in Jefferson, IA • Wild Rose Casino & Resort in Emmetsburg, IA |
| PointsBet | • Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington, IA |
| William Hill | • Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf in Bettendorf, IA
• Lakeside Hotel Casino in Osceola, IA • Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack & Hotel in Altoona, IA • Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo in Waterloo, IA • Various CVS locations • Various Family Dollar locations |
For both Apple and Android users, all these applications are available. To download the applications, follow the links in the table listed above and obtain instructions for account verification at your nearest retail location.
Bonuses and Promotions Available for the Best Iowa Sportsbooks
You can get additional benefits by making use of the bonuses and promotions of the various sportsbooks. There are regular promotions available on all betting sites here that change daily.
These deals usually have higher odds and may provide improved returns on prominent betting lines. Risk-free bet credits and competitions dependent on skills are some other promotions available.
Some books provide Iowa sports bettors with enhanced odds regularly. These deals vary each day, of course. Check the promotions section of your online sportsbook website each time you log in to make sure that you do not lose out!
Best Sign up Bonuses for Iowa Sports Betting
Besides the aforementioned deals, most leading sportsbooks offer attractive welcome incentives to draw new customers. These deals will, in some situations, bring more than $1,000 to your cash pile right away.
Taking advantage of registration incentives is another excellent case for signing with an online sportsbook, even if you want to wager personally at the casino.
These sign-up promotions allow you to make a big bet risk-free, or even provide a deposit match or a free bet credit. Evaluate the various options based on the way you plan to wager to decide which bonus would be better for you.
| Betting Site | IA Bonus |
| DraftKings | Risk-Free Bet up to $500 |
| PointsBet | Risk-Free Bet up to $500 |
| William Hill | Bet $100 to Get $100 |
It is necessary to identify a legal sportsbook when you wager in Iowa regardless of whether or not you are engaging in benefiting from these deals.
It just means that you bet with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission retail sites and applications.
Legal Iowa Sports Betting
The citizens of Iowa have long ago impressed the country with their shared sense of law and legislation as the nation’s early political predictor.
Given this political heritage, Iowa sports betting rules strike the middle path between rigid consumer protection act and cost-cutting business-friendly regulations and burden on operators.
The Iowa Sports Betting is allowed in compliance with Iowa SF617 and codified in Chapter 99 of the Iowa Code. The policy enables the racing state and the commission to formulate the rules for the sports betting industry in Iowa and to review them periodically.
The following paragraphs discuss the critical particulars that all regular gamblers need to be familiar with.
Iowa Online Sports Betting
Iowa steadily progressed into completely online sports gaming, with provisions for in-person identification set for expiry on 1 January 2021. The opportunity for remote sports betting in the country will be formed.
Need for In-Person Registration until 2021
Betters still have convenient access to 24/7 live betting after their account has been reviewed at an Iowa casino that has an online sports betting permit.
Requisite for Geolocation
To avoid access to their services outside the state border, online bets can be made throughout the state with betting apps and online sportsbooks provided that they use appropriate legal geofence software.
If you use the betting app, the positioning services on your mobile will be merged into the service. Enable it when your app prompts this. When you bet from a computer, a software kit should necessarily be downloaded from the sportsbook.
Licenses for Online Sports Betting
Licenses for Iowa sports betting are given only to existing state casinos. To provide their services in Iowa, online operators must associate with these Iowa-based companies.
The state has a mature casino industry, and every licensed casino is eligible to form partnerships for up to 2 online brands or “skins’ ‘ under a single license. Online operators can also have several license holders for collaboration. Thus the market has sufficient space for all leading online operators, such as DraftKings and William Hill.
The registered license holders of Iowa sports betting and their online betting partners are:
| License Holder | Online Betting Partner(s) |
| Catfish Bend Casino | PointsBet |
| Diamond Jo Casino | FanDuel |
| Diamond Jo Worth | FanDuel |
| Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel | Caesars |
| Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs | Caesars |
| Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo | William Hill |
| Isle of Capri – Bettendorf | William Hill |
| Lakeside Hotel Casino | William Hill |
| Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino | William Hill |
| Wild Rose Casino & Resorts – Clinton | DraftKings |
| Wild Rose Casino & Resorts – Emmetsburg | DraftKings |
| Wild Rose Casino & Resorts – Jefferson | DraftKings |
License charges and taxes are incredibly affordable for operators for sports betting in Iowa.
New licenses for sports wagering are priced at only $45,000. The sports betting tax rate is 6.75 percent of gross gaming receipts or the residual amount of revenue after payouts of winnings.
The users often benefit from these extremely low market penetration barriers on existing overhead expenses. In all, smaller operating budgets mean more gain, which then leads to increased chances and more rewards for customers.
It also encourages a dynamic marketplace in which sports bettors in Iowa have plenty of opportunities for online and in-person betting.
Iowa Retail Sports Betting: Casinos & Riverboats for Betting In-Person
Iowa’s sports betting will conquer the online industry as soon as the provision for individual registration ends in January 2021. Sportsbooks expect that certain gamblers may mix it with sporadic in-person sportsbook visits.
Fortunately, they have a lot to pick from. In Iowa, in-person betting and casinos have long been permitted on the riverboat casinos in the Mississippi River and terrestrial tribal casinos. A majority of them now have betting kiosks and classic sportsbooks in Las Vegas style.
We are strong advocates of online betting due to its ease and accessibility. Having said that, during significant events like March Madness, the vibrant atmosphere on the floor of sportsbooks is tough to match.
In Iowa, the best of both worlds is achievable. Take advantage of the bonuses and gamble on the go by downloading an IA sports betting application on your smartphone.
Here are all the in-person sports betting locations:
- Ameristar II
- Casino Queen Marquette
- Catfish Bend
- Diamond Jo Casino
- Diamond Jo Worth
- Grand Falls Casino Resort
- Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
- Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel
- Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs
- Iowa Greyhound Park
- Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo
- Isle of Capri – Bettendorf
- Lakeside Hotel Casino
- Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino
- Q Casino
- Rhythm City Casino
- Riverside Casino and Golf Resort LLC
- Wild Rose Casino & Resorts Clinton
- Wild Rose Casino & Resorts Emmetsburg
- Wild Rose Casino & Resorts Jefferson
Iowa is home to many physical sportsbooks spread across the state. Refer to Google maps for the place nearest your home. Most sportsbooks, as you can see, are situated around the border or on the border in the case of riverboats.
Iowa sportsbooks allow bettors from Nebraska, Illinois, and Wisconsin to place bets in their sportsbooks.
You can find the full sportsbook address, operating hours and name at each IA retail location below.
| Casino | Sportsbook | Address | Hours* |
| Ameristar II | The Sportsbook | 2200 River Rd, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 | Daily: 11am – 7pm |
| Casino Queen Marquette | Casino Queen Marquette Sportsbook | 100 Anti Monopoly
Marquette, Iowa 52158 |
Daily: 9am – 2am |
| Catfish Bend Casino | PointsBet Sportsbook | 3001 Winegard Dr, Burlington, IA 52601 | Sunday to Thursday: 10am – 12am
Friday & Saturday: 10am – 2am |
| Diamond Jo Casino | FanDuel Sportsbook | 301 Bell Street, Dubuque, IA 52001 | Daily: 8am – 3am |
| Diamond Jo Worth | FanDuel Sportsbook | 777 Diamond Jo Lane, Northwood, IA 50459 | Daily: 8am – 3am |
| Grand Falls Casino Resort | ELITE Sportsbook | 1415 Grand Falls Blvd, Larchwood, IA 51241 | 24/7 |
| Hard Rock Hotel and Casino | Hard Rock Sportsbook | 111 3rd St, Sioux City, IA 51101 | Monday to Friday: 12pm – 6pm
Saturday & Sunday: 12pm – 8pm |
| Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel | The Sportsbook | 1 Harrah’s Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 | Monday to Thursday: 11am – 7pm
Friday: 11am – 11pm Saturday: 9am – 11pm Sunday: 9am – 10pm |
| Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs | The Sportsbook | 2701 23rd Ave, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 | Daily: 11am – 8pm |
| Iowa Greyhound Park | N/A | 1899 Greyhound Park Rd, Dubuque, IA 52001 | Monday to Sunday: 9am – 5pm |
| Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo | William Hill Sportsbook at Isle Hotel Casino Waterloo | 777 Isle of Capri Blvd, Waterloo, IA 50701 | Thursday to Monday: 11am – 6pm |
| Isle of Capri – Bettendorf | William Hill Sportsbook at Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf | 1777 Isle Pkwy, Bettendorf, IA 52722 | Monday, Thursday-Sunday: 11am – 6pm |
| Lakeside Hotel Casino | William Hill sportsbook Lakeside Hotel Casino | 777 Casino Dr, Osceola, IA 50213 | Thursday to Monday: 1am – 6pm |
| Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino | William Hill Sportsbook at Prairie Meadows | 1 Prairie Meadows Dr, Altoona, IA 50009 | Daily: 11am – 6pm |
| Q Casino | Q Sportsbook | 1855 Greyhound Park Rd, Dubuque, IA 52001 | Thursday: 2pm – 8pm
Friday & Saturday: Noon – 8pm Sunday: Noon – 6pm |
| Rhythm City Casino | ELITE Sportsbook | 7077 Elmore Avenue, Davenport, IA 52807 | Friday to Sunday:
12pm – 8pm |
| Riverside Casino and Golf Resort LLC | ELITE Sportsbook | 3184 IA-22, Riverside, IA 52327 | Monday to Wednesday:
10am – 6pm Thursday & Sunday: 10am – 7pm Friday & Saturday: 10am – 8pm |
| Wild Rose Casino & Resorts – Clinton | DraftKings Sportsbook at Wild Rose | 777 Wild Rose Dr, Clinton, IA 52732 | Thursday & Sunday: 10:30am – 8pm
Wednesday: 4:30pm – 8pm |
| Wild Rose Casino & Resorts – Emmetsburg | DraftKings Sportsbook at Wild Rose | 777 Main St, Emmetsburg, IA 50536 | Monday: 11am – 11pm
Tuesday & Wednesday: 2pm – 10pm Thursday & Friday: 11am – 11pm Saturday & Sunday: 9am – 11pm |
| Wild Rose Casino & Resorts – Jefferson | DraftKings Sportsbook at Wild Rose | 777 Wild Rose Rd, Jefferson, IA 50129 | Monday: 11am – 10pm
Tuesday to Thursday: 11am – 10pm Friday: 11am – 11pm Saturday: 9am – 11pm Sunday: 9am – 10pm |
*Changing hours due to COVID-19
Laws & Regulations in Iowa Sports Betting
Iowa has put minimal constraints on the kind of bets available in the state sportsbooks. There are also limited controls on who can bet in the state.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission provides the guidelines for sports betting in the state.
What Can You Now Bet on in Iowa?
MLB FUTURES
NFL
UFC 255
NBA FUTURES
NCAAF
Sports Betting is Legalized in Iowa
Betting on sports became authorized in 2019 and running in Iowa. The duration between legalization and rollout was very swift, and many sportsbooks in the state were operating online and retail by the close of 2019.
A few of the online sportsbooks in Iowa:
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- PointsBet Iowa
- William Hill
- Hard Rock
- Elite Sportsbook
- Q Sportsbook
- Betfred
- FanDuel Sportsbook
Under Iowa rule, players need to download the app and visit a local land-based affiliate before their registration can be completed and their first deposit is made. After this process is done, however, online sports betting is conducted in Iowa as it is in other states.
In the meantime, some retail sportsbooks also take bets. Here are a few of the land-based sportsbook casinos in Iowa:
- Ameristar Council Bluffs
- Catfish Bend
- Diamond Jo – Worth
- Grand Falls
- Harrah’s Council Bluffs
- Horseshoe Council Bluffs
- Isle of Capri – Bettendorf
- Isle of Capri – Waterloo
- Lakeside
- Prairie Meadows
- Q Casino
- Rhythm City
- Riverside
- Wild Rose – Clinton
- Wild Rose – Emmetsburg
- Wild Rose – Jefferson
Legal Casinos in Iowa State
Iowa has a large assortment of casino sites. Land-based casinos, tribal casinos, a tribal bingo (Class II) casino, a racino and riverboat casino function in the state.
In total, Iowa has 23 different facilities, all of which are some kind of casinos. Council Bluffs is the largest cluster.
Oddly, they are scattered uniformly across the state. Consequently, the majority of Iowans live in juxtaposition to at least one location.
These are the casinos currently operating in the State of Hawkeye:
- Ameristar Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs
- Blackbird Bend Casino (tribal), Onawa
- Casino Queen Marquette (riverboat), Marquette
- Catfish Bend Casino, Burlington
- Diamond Jo Casino, Dubuque
- Diamond Jo Casino – Worth, Northwood
- Grand Falls Casino, Larchwood
- Hard Rock Sioux City, Sioux City
- Harrah’s Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs
- Horseshoe Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs
- Isle Casino Bettendorf, Bettendorf
- Isle Casino Waterloo, Waterloo
- Lakeside Hotel & Casino, Osceola
- Meskwaki Casino (Class II tribal), Tama
- Prairie Flower Casino (tribal), Carter Lake
- Prairie Meadows (racino), Altoona
- Q Casino, Dubuque
- Rhythm City Casino Resort, Davenport
- Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, Riverside
- Wild Rose Casino, Clinton
- Wild Rose Casino, Emmetsburg
- Wild Rose Casino, Jefferson
- WinnaVegas Casino Resort, Sloan
Legal Poker in Iowa
This is a list of the live poker locations running in Iowa:
- Catfish Bend Casino, Burlington
- Diamond Jo Casino – Worth, Northwood
- Grand Falls Casino, Larchwood
- Horseshoe Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs
- Meskwaki Casino (Class II tribal), Tama
- Prairie Meadows (racino), Altoona
- Q Casino, Dubuque
- Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, Riverside
- WinnaVegas Casino Resort, Sloan
Casinos with Sportsbooks
Here are the casinos in Iowa with onsite sportsbooks:
- Ameristar Council Bluffs
- Catfish Bend
- Diamond Jo – Worth
- Grand Falls
- Harrah’s Council Bluffs
- Horseshoe Council Bluffs
- Isle of Capri – Bettendorf
- Isle of Capri – Waterloo
- Lakeside
- Prairie Meadows
- Q Casino
- Rhythm City
- Riverside
- Wild Rose – Clinton
- Wild Rose – Emmetsburg
- Wild Rose – Jefferson
Poker Rooms in Iowa
At present, there are 9 live poker rooms in Iowa located in the following casino properties:
- Catfish Bend Casino, Burlington
- Diamond Jo Casino – Worth, Northwood
- Grand Falls Casino, Larchwood
- Horseshoe Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs
- Meskwaki Casino (Class II tribal), Tama
- Prairie Meadows (racino), Altoona
- Q Casino, Dubuque
- Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, Riverside
- WinnaVegas Casino Resort, Sloan