Iowa Online Gambling
With 19 land-based casinos, 17 retail sportsbooks, 13 legal sports betting sites, and legal horse racing betting, the Iowa gambling market is one of the biggest and most well-regulated in the US. In this guide, we will focus on the online aspect of this vast market.
We’ll cover all the legal ways to gamble online in Iowa today. We’ll also touch on some recent developments in the market and predict what’s next for Iowa online gambling. To start, let’s go over the best Iowa gambling sites available now.
Best Iowa Gambling Sites
You can legally bet on sports, play daily fantasy, and play sweepstakes casino games in Iowa. If you are interested in doing any of these things, here are our experts’ top places to gamble in Iowa online:
Is Online Gambling Legal in Iowa?
Online gambling is legal in Iowa. However, like most states in the US, not all forms of online gambling are legal in the Hawkeye State. Let’s first go over what is legal.
The most popular form of gambling available online in Iowa is sports betting. The state legalized it back in 2019 when Governor Kim Reynolds signed Bill SF-617. The market fully opened in 2021 when online registration became available.
Lawmakers also legalized Daily Fantasy Sports in 2019. However, the Iowa DFS market is much more regulated than in other states, so don’t be surprised if some competitions are limited or you can’t play with your favorite DFS app legally. You will still have lots of options.
You will not have any options for legal online casinos, though. There are no legal Iowa online casino sites, but sweepstakes casinos and social casino sites are available in Iowa.
Iowa Gambling History
Today, Iowa has one of the most underrated gambling markets in the country, with more casinos and sports betting options than the vast majority of other states. However, it wasn’t always like this.
For the first 126 years of Iowa’s history, gambling was illegal. The state’s first government wrote a ban on lotteries into the Iowa constitution in 1846. Despite this ban, riverboats and other informal gambling were common in Iowa until the turn of the century.
In 1972, 68% of voters approved an amendment to legalize gambling in Iowa officially. It did not last very long, as the state quickly banned casino games like blackjack and craps. This new ban lasted until the 1990s, when casinos, racinos, and riverboat casinos were again legalized.
The most recent change to the Iowa gambling landscape came in 2019 after the legislature legalized sports betting.
We’ve just covered the broad strokes of Iowa’s gambling history. Here are all the important milestones:
- 1846: Iowa becomes a state. The first constitution explicitly bans lotteries, saying, “No lottery shall be authorized by this state nor shall the sale of lottery tickets be allowed.”
- September 5, 1971: A police raid on a Catholic church-run gambling house leads to an outcry for legal gambling in Iowa.
- November 7, 1972: 68% of Iowa voters vote to remove the vague constitutional ban on lotteries and gambling.
- 1973: The General Assembly passes multiple bills to legalize bingo, raffles, and other forms of charitable gambling. Blackjack, poker, and other casino games are banned.
- 1983: Pari-mutuel wagering on dog and horse racing is legalized.
- 1985: The Iowa Lottery is established by the state legislature.
- 1989: Riverboat gambling is legalized.
- 1992: The Iowa state legislature signs three tribal gaming compacts with three of the state’s biggest tribes to allow for tribal casinos in the state.
- 1994: Video slot machines at pari-mutuel racetracks are legalized, allowing racinos to pop up around the state.
- 2019: Governor Kim Reynolds signs Bill SF-617 to legalize sports betting in Iowa.
Legal Gambling Options in Iowa
After 120 years of dormancy, the Iowa gambling market has exploded in the last 50 years. However, there’s still a ways to go before Iowa has a totally open market. Here is where things currently stand.
| Type of Gambling | Legal? | When Legalized? |
| Online Casinos | ❌ | N/A |
| Land-Based Casinos | ✅ | 1994 |
| Online Poker | ❌ | N/A |
| Land-Based Poker | ✅ | 1994 |
| Online Sports Betting | ✅ | 2019 |
| Retail Sports Betting | ✅ | 2019 |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | ✅ | 2019 |
| Horse Racing | ✅ | 1983 |
| Lottery | ✅ | 1985 |
| Charitable Gambling | ✅ | 1972 |
Sports Betting
Iowa was one of the first states to legalize sports betting. It took just one year after the US Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association for the state legislature and Governor Kim Reynolds legalize sports betting in 2019.
The rollout was a bit slower. At first, you could only create your sportsbook account in person at retail sportsbooks. In 2021, Iowa opened up mobile registration, meaning you can create an account and start sports betting from anywhere.
There are now 13 legal Iowa sports betting sites, including major brands like BetMGM, Caesars, and FanDuel. Unique sports betting options, such as Sporttrade, are also available.
Online Casino
Online casinos are not legal in Iowa. This may seem a bit strange given that there are close to 25 in-person casinos in Iowa, but it’s not that out of the ordinary when you look at other states.
In 2025, there are just seven states in the US with legal sports betting: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Unfortunately for online casino players, it doesn’t look like Iowa will join these states soon.
Many of the state’s top casino advocates–including Representative Bobby Kaufmann, who introduced multiple Iowa online casino bills–have said there is a minimal chance of making progress.
Poker
Since online casinos are not legal in Iowa, online poker is also not legal in Iowa. Thankfully, in-person poker is completely fine. However, there are not many options.
Of Iowa’s nearly 20 casinos, there are just five that have card rooms for poker:
- Bally’s Quad Cities (6 tables)
- Grand Falls Casino Resort (8 tables)
- Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs (18 tables)
- Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino (8 tables)
- Riverside Casino (10 tables)
These casinos offer multiple tables and regular tournaments for poker pros and casual players. Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs has the biggest poker room, with 18 tables—almost twice as many as the second-largest online casino.
Daily Fantasy Sports
In the 2010s, the issue of whether Daily Fantasy Sports were a game of skill or chance was one of the biggest conversations in gaming. Like many states, Iowa chose to address this issue head-on with legislation in 2019.
Iowa’s sports betting bill (Bill SF-617) specifically says fantasy sports are a game of skill. In most states, this would mean that DFS is not gambling. It is a bit more complicated in Iowa since the state’s sports betting bills put strict definitions on what a fantasy sports competition is. It also requires DFS operators to be licensed.
Traditional DFS apps like FanDuel and DraftKings can legally operate under Iowa’s definition of fantasy sports. Underdog, PrizePicks, and other “Pick’em” companies are typically not available.
Lottery
Iowa was technically one of the first states to legalize gambling when it temporarily legalized all forms of gambling via a constitutional amendment in 1972. It was also an early innovator when it came to legalizing lottery games.
Hawkeye State lawmakers established the Iowa Lottery in 1985. Most East Coast states had created lotteries a decade earlier, but this was very early compared to other Midwestern states. Illinois is the only state neighboring Iowa that legalized lottery games before Iowa did in 1985.
Since 1985, the Iowa Lottery has been a booming success. Lottery games create nearly $100 million in revenue for the state government every year.
Retail Sportsbooks
Retail sportsbooks and in-person sports betting were legalized in the same 2019 bill (Bill SF-617) as online sports betting and fantasy sports in Iowa. Caesars Sportsbook at Blackbird Bend Casino in Onawa was Iowa’s first legal retail sportsbook.
There are now 17 legal in-person sportsbooks in Iowa, including:
- Betfred Sportsbook: Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort
- Caesars Sportsbook: Harrah’s Council Bluffs, Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs, Isle Casino Bettendorf, Isle Casino Waterloo, and Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino.
- Draft Day Sports Lounge: Rhythm City Casino Resort, Riverside Casino.
- DraftKings Sportsbook: Wild Rose Casino & Hotel Clinton, Wild Rose Casino & Hotel Emmetsburg, Wild Rose Casino & Hotel Jefferson.
- DRF Sportsbook: Lakeside Hotel Casino.
- Fanatics Sportsbook: Catfish Bend Casino.
- FanDuel Sportsbook: Diamond Jo Casino Dubuque, Diamond Jo Casino Worth.
- Hard Rock Sportsbook: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City.
- Q Sportsbook: Q Casino
Land-Based Casinos
Iowa welcomed land-based casinos in the 1980s and early 1990s by legalizing riverboat and racinos. During this period, the legislature also opened the door for legal tribal casinos.
Today, the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska all own and operate land-based casinos in Iowa. These tribes own four of the 19 legal land-based casinos currently available in the Hawkeye State.
Some argue that 19 casinos are too much for Iowa and that the market is “fully saturated.” However, there are talks of new casinos coming to the Hawkeye State every year.
Sweepstakes Casinos
Social and sweepstakes casinos are available in Iowa. With that being said, unlike the other types of gambling we have covered here in this guide, state lawmakers have not formally legalized sweepstakes casinos.
Because you gamble with virtual currency instead of real money, sweepstakes casinos are not real money casinos banned by law in Iowa. This sounds complicated, but it should not put you off playing sweepstakes casino games. The situation in Iowa is pretty much the situation everywhere in the US. The top sweeps sites are safe and trusted brands.
How are Gambling Sites Regulated in Iowa?
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission and the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa regulate all forms of Iowa online gambling.
The Racing and Gaming Commission issues licenses and regulates casinos and sportsbooks on a day-to-day basis. This includes creating rules for Iowa iGaming operators and ensuring that operators follow those rules.
If an Iowa online gambling site breaks the law, the Attorney General will punish that site. The agency also goes after unlicensed regulators and other illegal gambling operations in the state.
Responsible Gambling in Iowa
You should always practice responsible gambling whenever you play casino games or bet on sports in Iowa. Never wager more than you can afford to lose, and don’t chase losses.
If you want to learn more about how to gamble responsibly or if you need help with problem gambling, the Iowa Office of Problem Gambling Prevention & Treatment Services and 1-800-BETS OFF are good places to start. Other resources available to you include:
FAQs
Is online gambling legal in Iowa?
Yes, but not all types of online gambling are legal in Iowa. Sports betting sites, sweepstakes casinos, and Daily Fantasy Sports are all legal. However, traditional online casinos and online poker are illegal in Iowa.
Can I bet on sports in Iowa?
Yes! Sports betting has been legal in Iowa since May 2019. There are now over a dozen legal in-person and online sportsbooks in Iowa.
Does Iowa have any online casinos?
Unfortunately not. While Iowa is one of the biggest land-based casino markets in the Midwest, online casinos are not legal in the Hawkeye State. Sweepstakes and social casinos are available as an alternative.
Is DFS legal in Iowa?
Yes, but they are tightly regulated. Iowa legalized Daily Fantasy Sports in 2019. Unlike other states, fantasy sports operators must be licensed before legally operating in Iowa.
Are Iowa online gambling sites safe?
Yes. Iowa gambling sites are extremely safe. The Hawkeye State has one of the most tightly regulated gaming markets in the US. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission ensures that all legal sites are safe and fair to players.
Do I have to pay taxes on gambling winnings in Iowa?
Yes. Iowa has a flat 6.75% state tax on gambling winnings, and the federal government also taxes gambling winnings in Iowa at a flat rate of 24%.
