Iowa Governor Signs Legislation to Legalize Sports Betting
Published May 20, 2019 by Elana K
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signs legislation to make sports betting legal within state borders.
It’s official; sports betting will now be allowed in the state of Iowa. Last week, Governor Kim Reynolds signed legislation to make college and professional sports betting legal for people aged 21 and over. Sports betting will be available at all of Iowa’s 19 casinos and online; however, to bet online, you'll have to first go to a land-based casino and show identification proving you’re 21.
Fantasy sports is also included in the legislation, which means that Iowans will be able to play at sites like FanDuel and DraftKings.
Time to Hustle
While the bill has been approved, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has a lot of work ahead. For example, Iowa casinos will need to partner with online companies to offer mobile sports betting; the commission will need to vet and approve these companies. Additionally, the jury is not out yet on whether people will be allowed to gamble on credit - a decision needs to be made.
One thing that the bill is clear on is that in-game betting for college sports won’t be allowed. Which means that you can bet on the winner of the game, but not on how many touchdowns a certain player will score.
Despite the many details that need to be ironed out, Commission Administrator Brian Ohorilko projects that the system will be up and running by the fall football season.
States with Legal Sports Betting
Iowa is the eighth state to implement legal sports betting following the Supreme Court’s repeal of the federal ban one year ago. Other states include Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Nevada, of course, also offers sports betting, but it was the only state that was allowed to do so prior to the Supreme Court's ruling last May that every state can decide for itself.
