Iowa Sports Betting Soars in January
Online sports betting in Iowa has been legal since 2019 when Governor Kim Rhodes signed Bill SF167 into law, making it the 11th state to launch online betting. Punters in the Hawkeye state can place their sports bets with major operators such as DraftKings, William Hill, FanDuel and others who are partnering with local brick and mortar casinos to provide a licence that is secured and regulated by the state.
With the removal of in-person registration and the 2021 Super Bowl, January has seen record-breaking numbers for online sports betting throughout the state.
Sports Betting Continues to Grow in Iowa
With the physical registration being upended on January 1st Iowans can expect an upturn within the market in the Hawkeye state being “inundated with new applications” from operators. With all the state’s casinos now having a sports gambling operation, many are looking to expand their offering.
Each casino is allowed three individually branded websites, with those who started early now looking to launch more brands in the state. Although it seems a natural progression of the 18-month-old market, the demand seems to have rushed through applications and launches.
Brian Ohorilko, Administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission talked to the press about how sports betting has become a bright spot for an industry hit hard by the pandemic. “We’re seeing really good numbers right now and I think we’ll continue to see market growth in the next few months,” He said.
Total Sports Betting Figures for Iowa
Ohoriko’s comments are backed up by the latest figures. It shows betting activity was driven to a monthly record, with wagers of $149.5 million for January. This is the second month in a row where legal sports betting topped the wagers of $100 million in Iowa and the fourth consecutive month for record-setting growth.
The wagering activity in January resulted in net sportsbook receipts of $11.3 million and $765,673 in state taxes.
January’s record-setting amount was a 42.7% increase from the record wager amount of $104.8 million in December. And a brilliant 157% increase from January 2020, with a $58 million increase in wagers.
It is not surprising to see most of this amount came from online betting. The mobile betting market rose to $120.76 million in wagers, up 54.7% from December’s $78.1 million. Even more impressive is that these figures see a large increase of 256.8% from January 2020.
17 out of the 18 casinos in Iowa who allow sports betting also provide a mobile betting app. Therefore it isn’t a surprise that mobile betting was 80.7% of the total market in January.
Iowans Took Advantage of Online Super Bowl Betting
With one Dubuque Casino touting the Super Bowl as the single-most betted on the event of the year, Iowans rose to the challenge with online betting, which is now easier than ever.
With each operator vying for the top spot, the promotions were highly competitive. With the added excitement of one of Iowa’s most followed NFL teams playing, , The Kansas City Chiefs led to Iowans being personally invested in the outcome of the game.
How Individual Operators are Performing
It has been a successful run for the Iowa sportsbook operators, with the past couple of months consistently rising and with record-breaking growth of wagers.
- FanDuel – Combining its Diamond Jo Worth and Dubuque Sportsbook for wagers of $35.1 million, it has surpassed Prairie Meadows as the state leader.
- William Hill – Comes in at a second place. Its partnered casino near Des Moines is with Prairie Meadows came in with wagers of $23.1 million
- DraftKings – Saw an increase in bets of over 69% with $22 million in January. Isle Casino in Waterloo and Wild Rose in Clinton topped $10 million.
For more information on the operators currently live in Iowa, check out our Iowa State Guide.
In-Person Registration Removed
The growth from December to January has been the boost that the industry needed. Not only are there some well-known brands operating in the state and driving the market, but the removal of in-person registration has also played a part.
Originally the thought behind in-person registration was to increase foot traffic at land-based casinos. Although there was an initial increase in visitors, it became clear people were conducting most of their sports wagering business via their phone or mobile apps.
The change to the requirements has already led to increased interest in companies wanting to offer online sports betting within the states. The competition is already high with many of the companies market themselves heavily to both customers and state authorities.
Final Words
With more operators set to move into the state later in 2021, Iowa is a state to watch.
Don’t miss out on this up and coming online betting scene! If you’re over 21 and within state limits, you can register, pick up a generous bonus and jump right in.