Iowa Sports Betting
Iowa sports betting is legal and widely available. Most of the state’s 19 casinos operate retail sportsbooks, and bettors have more than 15 online sports betting apps at their disposal.
IA sports betting law required in-person registration at launch, but the provision phased out on January 1st, 2021. Now, anyone 21 or older can visit Iowa online sportsbooks to place wagers from anywhere within state lines. Read on to learn more about Iowa mobile sports betting apps, including info on how to claim a variety of welcome bonuses collectively worth over $10,000.
Sports betting isn’t the only form of legal online gambling in Iowa. The state also regulates online horse racing betting and daily fantasy sports. In addition, Iowa law requires operators to hold appropriate licenses and conform to various consumer protection regulations for all three forms of online betting.
Legal Iowa Betting Sites
21+ and present in IA. T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-BETS-OFF.
Iowa Sports Betting Regulations
Iowa legalized sports betting in 2019 with the passage of SF 617. Under state law, each Iowa casino that holds a sports betting license may operate a retail sportsbook on casino property and up to two individual mobile betting platforms, also known as “skins.”
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) is responsible for overseeing sports betting. Those duties include issuing licenses and ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations.
Here’s what readers need to know about Iowa sports betting rules:
- Customers must be 21 or older to bet on sports in Iowa
- Online and mobile betting is permitted
- Remote registration is permitted (in-person registration was required until January 1st, 2021)
- Wagering on pro and college sports is permitted
Best Iowa Sports Betting Apps
Online sports betting in Iowa is legal and regulated. Customers must be 21 or older and do not need to be residents to participate.
In-person registration is not necessary before placing wagers online. Bettors may register an online sports betting account, deposit, and withdraw from anywhere. However, Iowa sports bettors may only place real-money wagers when physically located within state lines.
Each casino may launch up to two separate online sportsbooks in partnership with licensed third-party providers such as FanDuel and DraftKings. Each platform may also include a mobile betting app.
Other Iowa Online Sportsbooks
Iowa Sportsbook Promo Codes
Below is an overview of the best Iowa betting bonuses and the latest promo codes, if applicable.
Online Sportsbook | Promo Code | Bonus Offer |
---|---|---|
BetMGM Iowa Bonus Code | BUSABONUS | Bet $5, Get $150 |
DraftKings Iowa Promo Code | Not Needed | No Sweat Bet up to $1,000 |
BetRivers Iowa Bonus Code | BUSA | Second Chance Bet up to $100 |
FanDuel Iowa Promo Code | Not Needed | Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets |
Bet365 Iowa Bonus Code | Not Needed | Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets |
Caesars Sportsbook Iowa Promo Code | BUSA1000 | $1000 Bonus Bet |
Betway Iowa Promo Code | N/A | Bonus Bet up to $250 |
Iowa Sports Betting Bonuses
In-person registration requirements in the early days of Iowa’s legal sports betting rollout hampered bonus availability because operators had little incentive to market their services to customers farther away than a reasonable drive to their partner casinos.
The end of in-person registration reignited statewide competition and now most online sportsbooks in Iowa offer new customer bonuses. Competition is fierce in a state with more than a dozen mobile betting operators, and betting bonuses are common.
Generally speaking, there are three types of bonus offers at Iowa sportsbooks:
- Bonus bets: Bettors initiate a deposit and place a real-money wager with their own money. If the bet falls short, they receive a refund, up to a certain amount, in bonus bets or site credit. Winning bettors do not receive any benefit from this promotional type.
- First deposit match: The sportsbook matches a bettor’s first deposit with an equal bonus amount. The bonus is subject to a wagering requirement because it converts to cash. The lower the wagering requirement, the better the bonus.
- First bet wager match: Bettors place their first wager, and are awarded a matched bet of equal value. The matched bet is distributed regardless of whether the real-money wager wins or loses.
Iowa law does not directly regulate sports betting bonuses and promotions, but state licensing requirements ensure only operators in good standing may offer mobile sports betting. As a result, bettors can expect fair treatment from licensed sportsbooks regarding promotions, security, and payments.
How to Bet Online in Iowa
The process of registering at Iowa online sportsbooks is straightforward, although there are a couple of nuances worth mentioning.
Generally, the steps for signing up at online sportsbooks in Iowa look something like this:
- Use one of the links on this page to navigate to a sports betting app of your choosing. Alternatively, visit the sportsbook’s homepage directly from desktop or a mobile device.
- Mobile users will have to download an app from either the Google Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iOS). There should be direct links on the sportsbook’s homepage. Apple and Android are the only mobile OS’s supported by IA sports betting apps.
- Once downloaded, open the app and tap “Sign Up” or register.
- Follow the registration steps. Users will have to provide, at minimum, their full name, address, date of birth, and the last four digits or their Social Security Number. Mobile numbers are usually also required.
- Remember to input any relevant bonus codes to ensure you receive the maximum bonus amount.
- Tick off any checkboxes. You’ll have to agree to the app’s terms (read them first), agree that you’re of legal age and not an excluded person, and agree that all information entered is correct.
- Once verified, bettors are able to initiate a first deposit using the cashier. Any bonus funds will also be applied to your account at this time.
Regulated sportsbooks are required to conduct vigorous identity checks, which is why you’re asked to provide personal information. Sportsbooks only use customers’ information to verify their identities and do not share it with third parties.
Bettors do not have to be located in Iowa to download and register with online sports betting apps. However, they do have to be geolocated within state borders to place real-money wagers. Note that an Iowa residency is not a prerequisite for placing bets.
Desktop and laptop users must have a WiFi connection and may have to download a GeoComply plugin to ensure that they’re properly geolocated.
Depositing at Iowa Online Sportsbooks
Deposit and withdrawal methods vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, with some IA sports betting apps supporting more payment methods than others.
Here’s a general look at the type of deposit options Iowa bettors have:
- Online banking
- ACH eCheck via VIP Preferred
- PayPal
- PayNearMe
- Debit cards
- Play+ Prepaid cards
- Wire transfers
Credit card transactions are explicitly prohibited on IA sports betting apps.
Iowa lawmakers voted to ban their use in June 2020. Credit cards are subject to high rejection rates in other markets, so the provision may end up saving Iowa bettors a few headaches.
Generally, bettors can withdraw funds using the same methods they used to deposit. Exceptions include debit cards and PayNearMe, which are cash transactions conducted at 7-Eleven, CVS, and Family Dollar stores. Withdrawing bettors can also request paper checks, but these take significantly longer to process.
The best Iowa sportsbooks process most withdrawals within a few business days, and the cash hits bettors’ accounts shortly thereafter.
Iowa Sportsbook Locations
Iowa sports betting began in August 2019 with the launch of seven sportsbooks at casinos across the state on a single day.
All but one of Iowa’s 19 commercial casinos operate retail sportsbooks. Casino Queen Marquette remains the only casino without a sportsbook today, but it does hold an Iowa sports betting license.
- The Sportsbook at Ameristar Council Bluffs
- Fanatics Sportsbook at Catfish Bend Casino
- FanDuel Sportsbook at Diamond Jo Dubuque
- FanDuel Sportsbook at Diamond Jo Worth
- Betfred Sports at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort
- Hard Rock Sportsbook at Hard Rock Casino Sioux City
- Caesars Sportsbook at Harrah’s Council Bluffs
- Caesars Sportsbook at Horseshoe Council Bluffs
- Caesars Sportsbook at Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo
- Caesars Sportsbook at Isle Casino Bettendorf
- DRF Sportsbook at Lakeside Hotel Casino
- Caesars Sportsbook at Prairie Meadows
- Q Sportsbook at Q Casino
- Elite Sportsbook at Rhythm City Casino
- Elite Sportsbook at Riverside Casino
- DraftKings Sportsbook at Wild Rose Clinton, Emmetsburg, and Jefferson
Iowa Sports Betting Law
IA Code § 99F lays the foundation for legal sports betting in Iowa, while additional regulations crafted by the IRGC fill in the details to establish a well-regulated industry.
Key Iowa Sports Betting Regulations
- Each casino may operate up to two independently branded Iowa sports betting sites and online sportsbook apps
- Casinos pay a $45,000 sports betting licensing fee and $10,000 per year after that
- Iowa sports betting operators to pay 6.75% tax
- Wagers allowed on pro and college sports but not on esports
How Iowa Legalized Sports Betting
In December of 2017, the Iowa Gaming Association (IGA) announced plans to begin crafting sports betting legislation on the chance that the federal prohibition of sports betting would be repealed. This plan came about during New Jersey’s Supreme Court case to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).
The Supreme Court did end up striking down PASPA, and that cleared the way for lawmakers to act. After one failed attempt to legalize sports betting in 2018, Iowa lawmakers moved again in 2019 to pass legislation that would bring in-person and online betting to Iowa.
The 2018 effort began with House Study Bill 592 seeking to legalize and regulate sports betting. If passed, HSB 592 would have legalized wagering on professional and college sports at local casinos, race tracks, and via licensed online sports betting sites. That bill never made it through the legislative process, but it set the stage for more legislation to come the following year.
In 2019, lawmakers introduced SF 617 to legalize retail sports betting and allow local casinos to apply for mobile sports betting licenses. The bill sought to allow each casino to operate up to two separate betting sites, accept wagers on pro and college sports, and legalize daily fantasy sports.
The Iowa House and Senate both approved the bill to send it to the desk of Governor Kim Reynolds. Governor Reynolds signed the bill in May 2019, officially legalizing sports betting in Iowa. The first sportsbooks and betting apps went live just a few months later.
Iowa Horse Racing Betting
Horse racing betting is legal in Iowa and regulated by the IRGC. Customers must be 21 or older and physically located within state lines to place wagers via authorized horse racing betting sites (ADWs).
The state does not issue licenses to individual ADWs, but several major operators provide online and mobile betting to Iowans. Trackside parimutuel wagering is limited to the state’s single racetrack, Prairie Meadows in Dubuque.
Prairie Meadows racetrack, the Iowa Greyhound Park, and several casinos operate off-track betting parlors (OTBs) where customers can place wagers on races held anywhere in the country. Iowa is one of the last remaining states with live greyhound racing, but that will come to an end soon. Iowa Greyhound Park officials plan to close the track permanently after the 2022 racing season.
Iowa Daily Fantasy Sports
Iowa prohibited daily fantasy sports for much longer than most states, but that changed in 2019 when lawmakers legalized DFS and sports betting in one swoop via HF 617.
The Iowa daily fantasy sports market is limited to two operators, but it provides effective regulation designed to keep players safe and DFS contests fair. Readers can learn more about the best Iowa fantasy sports sites and the legal landscape in BettingUSA’s guide below:
Iowa Online Gambling
Online casinos and poker sites are illegal in Iowa, although some sweepstakes casinos offer casino-style games that offer a similar experience.
IA Code § 725.7 provides a wide-ranging definition of illegal gambling that covers all forms of online gambling not expressly authorized by the state:
1. Except as permitted in chapters 99B and 99D, a person shall not do any of the following:
a. Participate in a game for any sum of money or other property of any value.
b. Make any bet.
c. For a fee, directly or indirectly, give or accept anything of value to be wagered or to be transmitted or delivered for a wager to be placed within or without the state of Iowa.
d. For a fee, deliver anything of value which has been received outside the enclosure of a racetrack licensed under chapter 99D to be placed as wagers in the pari-mutuel pool or other authorized systems of wagering.
e. Engage in bookmaking, except as permitted in chapters 99E and 99F.
The expansive nature of Iowa’s stance on illegal gambling is partially why even daily fantasy sports sites refused to operate in Iowa until legislation specifically authorizing DFS was passed. Similarly, online gambling in Iowa is clearly prohibited, both for operators and players.
Two attempts to legalize Iowa online poker failed to advance in 2012 and again in 2014. Lawmakers have never seriously considered legalizing online casinos in Iowa.
Iowa Senate File 2275 was proposed in 2012 as a means to license additional land-based casinos and internet poker. If passed, the bill would have included a bad actor clause (sites that previously accepted wagers in the US contrary to the UIGEA would not be eligible for licensing). It would have opened Iowa to sharing player pools with other states.
Senate File 2275 never made it into law and was eventually replaced with Senate Study Bill 1068 in 2013. SSB 1068 had much in common with SF 2275, including a bad actor clause and licensing criteria for operators. SSB 1068 died in committee a month after its introduction.
Over the intervening years, Iowa lawmakers have taken no further action to legalize online gambling. There appears to be no desire among the legislature to authorize Iowa online casinos at this time.
Iowa Electronic Markets Election Betting
Iowa is home to the only legal election betting website, Iowa Electronic Markets (IEM).
IEM is run by the University of Iowa’s Henry B. Tippie College of Business and allows politically minded people from around the world to wager on the outcomes of real-world events, particularly US elections.
The IEM website explains the basic idea in simple terms:
The Iowa Electronic Markets is a futures market run for research and teaching purposes. Traders can buy and sell real-money contracts based on their belief about the outcome of an election or other event. Using this “wisdom of crowds,” the price of a contract at any given time is a forecast of the outcome.
Responsible Gambling in Iowa
Several responsible gambling resources are available in Iowa. Iowa sports betting regulations also require online sportsbooks to provide methods for customers to pause their accounts temporarily or indefinitely and impose wagering and deposit limits.
Additionally, anyone who suspects they have a gambling problem can contact the Iowa Department of Health Gambling Treatment Program or find additional resources through the National Council on Problem Gambling Iowa page.
Iowa Sports Betting and Gambling Self-Exclusion
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission manages a voluntary self-exclusion program covering all casinos, race tracks, sportsbooks, online wagering, and daily fantasy sports. Once enrolled, patrons may not enter the gaming floor or sportsbook of any facility licensed by the IRGC, and they will be unable to use any online sportsbook licensed in Iowa.
Gamblers can enroll by mail or in person for a five-year period or life via four methods:
- Self-Exclude by Mail: Download and complete an enrollment form at home, but do not sign it. Take the form to a notary public in Iowa to sign it in the notary’s presence. Mail the completed form, a copy of the front of your active driver’s license or state ID, and a photo clearly displaying your head and shoulders to the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission.
- Self-Exclude in Person at the IRGC in Des Moines: Call the IRGC at 515-281-7352 to schedule an appointment for assistance completing and submitting a self-exclusion request form. Bring a valid government-issued ID with you to the office.
- Self-Exclude in Person at a Gambling Treatment Provider: Visit any Iowa Gambling Treatment Provider Agency (locations available statewide) to enroll in person. Bring a valid government-issued ID or passport and a photo including only your head and shoulders.
- Self-Exclude at Any Licensed Gambling Facility: Visit any casino or race track licensed in Iowa for assistance with completing and submitting a self-exclusion request.
Important Iowa self-exclusion points:
- Anyone on the self-exclusion list who enters the gaming floor or sportsbook at any licensed facility will be escorted from the property and potentially charged with criminal trespassing
- Individuals who have self-excluded may still visit hotels, convention centers, and other non-gambling areas of licensed casinos and race tracks in Iowa
- Gamblers may only submit self-exclusion requests for themselves; no one may self-exclude from Iowa sports betting and gambling on behalf of a friend, loved one, or family member
- There is no way to end a self-exclusion period early or rescind a lifetime request, and there are no exceptions
- Licensed Iowa online sportsbooks and casinos may operate internal exclusion programs separate from the IRGC’s self-exclusion program; these programs may continue to ban individuals indefinitely, even if they have completed a five-year exclusion period
- Some Iowa betting sites and casinos may extend self-exclusion requests to all of their other properties nationwide