Your Guide To Online Gambling In Iowa
Iowa: The Sports Betting Capital of the Midwest
Barely three months after passing legislation, The Hawkeye state officially began allowing sports betting, in doing so they became the first of the Midwestern states to launch a regulated industry.
Under the law, bettors were required to visit a land-based casino in order to prove eligibility and create an account for mobile access. However, the law was amended and as of January 2021, bettors in Iowa are now allowed to set up a betting account online anywhere within state lines, without the need to visit a land-based casino.
How Does Online Gambling in Iowa Shape Up?
Becoming the first Midwestern state to launch sports betting, Iowa has been somewhat of a beacon of inspiration to what sports betting could look like in other states in the future.
States considering the move towards legalizing sports betting can learn from the failures and successes of Iowa's venture into legal sports betting
Iowa Sports Betting
Iowa's betting laws allow anyone in Iowa aged 21 and up to bet on professional sports teams as well as collegiate teams, with the exception of individual player props in college sports. Sports bettors are allowed to place wagers either in-person at a land-based casino or online via their computer or mobile devices.
Iowa Online Casino Gambling
For those of you in Iowa hoping to have access to online casinos, you will have to continue to use one of Iowa's land-based casinos for any non-sports-related gambling until Iowa's betting laws are amended to include online casinos.
Land-Based Casinos in Iowa
To play casino games in Iowa, visit any of the following land-based casinos:
- Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs
- Council Bluffs, IA - Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino
- Altoona, IA - Catfish Bend Casino
- Burlington, IA - Wild Rose Casino & Resort – Clinton
- Clinton, IA - Wild Rose Casino & Resort – Jefferson
- Jefferson, IA - Wild Rose Casino & Resort – Emmetsburg
- Emmetsburg, IA - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City
- Sioux City, IA - Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort
- Larchwood, IA - Horseshoe Council Bluffs
- Council Bluffs, IA - Harrah’s Council Bluffs Hotel & Casino
- Council Bluffs, IA - Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo
- Waterloo, IA - Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf
- Bettendorf, IA - Diamond Jo Worth Casino
- Northwood, IA - Diamond Jo Casino Dubuque
- Dubuque, IA - Q Casino
- Dubuque, IA - Lakeside Hotel Casino
- Osceola, IA - Rhythm City Casino Resort
- Davenport, IA - Riverside Casino & Golf Resort
- Riverside, IA
Online Gambling in Iowa - Where to Bet
With a vast selection of online sportsbooks now operating in Iowa, there is anything but a shortage of options for Iowans when it comes to finding a place to bet on sports.
Bettors in Iowa can choose between any of the 16 online sportsbooks currently operating in the Hawkeye State
In addition to the 16 online sportsbooks that can be found in Iowa, you can always go old-school and visit one of the 18 land-based casinos to place wagers on sporting events.
Top 3 Gambling Sites in Iowa
- FanDuel Sportsbook → Best betting app
- DraftKings Sportsbook → Best for beginners
- BetMGM → Best for same game parlays
Although the exact sign-up process may slightly vary from operator to operator, they typically require the same information.
We've created a guide for you so you can know what to expect when registering for a new betting site.
Visit our Sports Betting Sites in Iowa page to find the right betting site for you.
Once you've found one that you like, press one of the green 'CLAIM' or 'JOIN' buttons to make sure you don't miss out on your welcome offer on your way there.
Upon entering the site, find the button to begin the registration process, this is typically done by clicking on the 'Join' or 'Register' button.
Once you've begun the registration process you'll most likely be prompted to provide your email address and create a password for your account.
Betting sites require some personal information to ensure safety and security for both themselves and for you.
It's not uncommon to be asked for any of the following:
- Full name
- DOB
- Address
- The last 4 digits of your SSN
- Proof of identity
- Establish security questions
Select your preferred payment method (We recommend using PayPal when it is an option)
Make your first deposit to add funds to your account.
After following all the steps to set up your account, you should now be ready to begin betting on your favorite sports!
Iowa Betting & Gambling Laws
Ever since the Federal Ban on sports betting, otherwise known as PASPA, was lifted on May 14th, 2018, Iowa made no hesitations to become one of the first states to fully legalize in-person and online sports betting. In fact, they were the 11th state overall to legalize sports betting and the first of the Midwest states.
Originally, bettors in Iowa were required to visit one of Iowa's land-based casinos to complete an in-person registration in order to partake in online sports betting. However, in January 2021 this rule was changed and bettors in Iowa are now allowed to register remotely, eliminating the need to visit a casino in order to register for an online betting site.
Iowa Sports Betting Rules
Take a look below to find out all the crucial information you need to know in regards to Iowa's sports betting rules (Iowa State Bill SF617).
Iowa sports betting and gambling bill SF617:
- Sports Betting: ✅
- Mobile Sports Betting: ✅
- Online Casinos: ❌
- Wager on Pro Sports: ✅
- Wager on College Sports: ✅ *(NO betting on individual player props)
- Must be at least 21+ years old to bet
- Online sportsbooks must be partnered with a licensed land-based casino
- Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) to regulate the industry
Iowa Online Casino Gambling Laws
As you can see, online casino gambling is still illegal in Iowa. Fortunately, there are 18 different land-based casinos that can take care of any casino gambling needs until online casino gambling is allowed.
Betting on Iowa Sports Teams
One might think that because there are no professional sports teams in Iowa that betting in Iowa may suffer from that.
However, that is anything but the truth.
Iowa is still home to a plethora of sports teams that have loyal fan bases, even if they aren't in a 'major professional' league like the NFL or NBA.
Iowa College Football Betting
One of, if not the most beloved sports teams in Iowa is the Iowa Hawkeyes.
For those in Iowa hoping to bet on their beloved Hawkeyes, they'll be happy to hear that betting on college football is legal in Iowa.
Fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes (and all other college football teams for that matter) will be happy to hear that you can bet on your favorite team in a number of different ways, including:
- Moneyline
- Totals
- Point spread
- Parlay
- Teaser
- Round Robin
- Futures
- In-game
However, there are some special limitations on how you can bet on college sports in Iowa.
Iowa lawmakers have placed a strict ban on placing wagers on individual player props for any in-state college sports events.
Betting On The Iowa Field Of Dreams Game
Baseball fans in the state of Iowa may not have a home-state MLB team to root for, however, they still play host to arguably the best regular-season game in the MLB.
Beginning in 2021, the MLB has taken our second-favorite baseball movie, 'The Field of Dreams' (I mean c'mon, nothing beats The Sandlot), and quite literally brought it to life.
Throwback jerseys and all (yes, even the players enter the field from the corn-field 'bleachers') this game puts a smile on any baseball fan's face. What makes it even better is the fact that you can bet on this ground-breaking special event.
You can expect to find all the standard ways to bet on a baseball game, including:
- Moneyline
- Run Total
- Run Line (spread betting)
- Parlays
- Teasers
- In-game
- Player Props
- 'Field of Dreams' Specials and Promotions
