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The state of Iowa legalized sports betting in August of 2019, just in time for the start of football season. WWII vet Joseph Reynolds made the inaugural first wagers at Lakeside Hotel and Casino.
Reynolds was spot on with his wagers. He put $20 on the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIV and $20 on Iowa to beat in-state rival Iowa State (Hawkeyes won 18-17).
Lakeside Casino was one of several retail casinos in the state to take wagers from the get go. Many more have joined in on the fun.
Iowa was the 10th state outside of Nevada to legalize sports betting and the first to do so in the midwest region of the country.
List of Iowa Sportsbooks & Betting Locations
| Casino | Sportsbook Affiliate | Location (City) |
|---|---|---|
| Isle Bettendorf | William Hill | Bettendorf |
| Isle Waterloo | William Hill | Waterloo |
| Lakeside | William Hill | Osceola |
| Prairie Meadows | William Hill | Altoona |
| Grand Falls | Elite Sportsbook | Larchwood |
| Rhythm City | Elite Sportsbook | Davenport |
| Riverside | Elite Sportsbook | Riverside |
| Q Casino | Q Sportsbook | Dubuque |
| Catfish Bend | PointsBet | Burlington |
| Hard Rock Sioux City | Hard Rock Sportsbook | Sioux City |
| Wild Rose: Clinton | DraftKings | Clinton |
| Wild Rose: Jefferson | DraftKings | Jefferson |
| Wild Rose: Emmetsburg | DraftKings | Emmetsburg |
| Ameristar | Penn National / Kambi | Council Bluffs |
| Harrah’s Council Bluff | Caesars / Unibet | Council Bluffs |
| Horseshoe Casino | Caesars / Unibet | Council Bluffs |
| Diamond Jo – Dubuque | FanDuel | Dubuque |
| Diamond Jo – Worth | FanDuel | Worth |
| Casino Queen | TBD | Marquette |
All 19 of Iowa’s state licensed casinos have acquired a sports betting license, with only the Casino Queen having not opened their book to the public.
One of the big positives for Iowa players is they have a lot of different options in terms of sportsbooks. Not only that, but Iowa’s casinos are well spread out across the state, making it easy for anyone in the state to get in on the action.
The most prominent sportsbook in the state is William Hill, who has a base of operations in four different casinos. Elite Sportsbooks and DraftKings are also big players with three different locations.
While most of the casinos have just one sportsbook they are associated with, each casino does have the ability to host two different operators if they so choose.
Iowa Online Sports Wagering & Mobile Gaming
Unlike other states who don’t have online sports betting or waited some time before adding it, Iowa made it legal from day one.
This is huge for residents in the state and definitely something that will increase revenue for the books. Not only is online betting extremely convenient for the player, it gives them the ability to sign-up for multiple books.
The only negative right now is that players must physically go to the casino to get an account up and running at the book of their choice. That means those that want multiple books will have to do some traveling, given how spread out the casinos are.
As is the case with any of the state regulated online sportsbooks, you will not be able to use the app outside of state lines to make a wager.
I definitely recommend that you take advantage of the different options. Not only are you going to increase your chances of profits by having the ability to shop lines, there’s going to be some books that are better for in-game wagering, some that have more prop options and some that simply have odds on things that others won’t have.
There is the possibility that starting in 2021, players will no longer have to go to the casino to sign up for an account.