Compare every legal Iowa sportsbook: the licensed sports betting apps, how the casino-skin model works, and the rules on college betting, deposits and geolocation that every Iowa bettor should know.
In this article 10 sections
Every legal Iowa sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook
License: Crown IA Gaming LLC · Live since Feb 2020
Wild Rose Casinos gave DraftKings its Iowa start, with retail books at the Clinton, Jefferson and Emmetsburg properties in fall 2019. The app followed in February 2020, when bettors still had to sign up in person, and has been open to remote registration statewide since January 2021.
FanDuel Sportsbook
License: Betfair Interactive US LLC
Boyd Gaming brought FanDuel to Iowa in 2019 through the Diamond Jo casinos in Dubuque and Northwood, where early customers had to register in person. Those two retail counters stopped operating as FanDuel books on April 15, 2026, so Iowa bettors now use the app only.
Caesars Sportsbook
License: American Wagering Inc. · Live since Aug 2019
No Iowa book has more counters. Caesars runs a full sportsbook and race book at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, books at Isle Bettendorf, Isle Waterloo and Prairie Meadows in Altoona, and kiosks at Harrah's Council Bluffs. App bets earn Caesars Rewards credits, and it was live on Iowa's August 2019 opening day as William Hill.
bet365
License: Hillside (Iowa) LLC · Live since Jun 2023
Casino Queen Marquette, one of Iowa's riverboat casinos on the Mississippi, provides bet365's license here. The app arrived in June 2023 as the company's fifth US state and is a sportsbook only, since Iowa has no legal online casino, with deep live betting markets.
BetMGM
License: BetMGM, LLC · Live since Jan 2021
Diamond Jo Casino in downtown Dubuque was BetMGM's launch partner when the app opened statewide in January 2021, the company's eighth mobile state. Iowa bettors earn MGM Rewards on their wagers and can redeem them for stays and dining at MGM resorts elsewhere, from Las Vegas to Biloxi's Beau Rivage.
Fanatics Sportsbook
License: FBG Iowa, LLC · Live since Feb 2024
Fanatics took over PointsBet's Iowa business on February 6, 2024, and former PointsBet customers kept their existing logins. Its partner is Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington, where the old PointsBet counter was rebranded with new kiosks, and every bet earns FanCash for bonus bets or Fanatics merchandise.
theScore Bet
License: Penn Sports Interactive, LLC
Iowa was one of theScore Bet's first US markets in February 2021, before PENN Entertainment bought the company. PENN later ran the app here as Barstool and then ESPN BET before restoring theScore name on December 1, 2025, with existing accounts and open bets carried over.
Circa Sports
License: Circa Sports Iowa LLC · Live since Oct 2021
Through Wild Rose Casinos, the Las Vegas bookmaker has taken Iowa bets since October 2021. Iowa was also the first state to get Circa's rebuilt in-house app in October 2025, which keeps a single wallet across states and publishes its betting limits, aimed at bettors who want sharper lines rather than novelty props.
BetRivers
License: Rush Street Interactive IA, LLC · Live since Jan 2021
Rush Street Interactive opened BetRivers to Iowa on January 1, 2021, the first day bettors could register without visiting a casino. Its partners are the Wild Rose casinos in Clinton and Jefferson, where the Cash@Cage option lets players deposit to or withdraw from their online account in person.
Bally Bet
License: Bally's Management Group, LLC · Live since Jun 2021
Elite Casino Resorts, owner of Rhythm City, Riverside and Grand Falls, holds the market access deal behind Bally Bet in Iowa. The app began as a beta in June 2021, one of its earliest states, and wagers earn Bally's loyalty points that can be redeemed at Bally's casinos nationwide.
Iowa is a quietly good state to bet in. It went live in August 2019, dropped its early in-person sign-up rule on January 1, 2021, and SF 617 set the tax on operators at just 6.75% of net receipts, one of the lowest rates in the country. A low tax means books keep more and spend more competing, so Iowa bettors tend to see sharper lines and better promotions than the size of the state would suggest. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission runs it; you must be 21 and in-state.
There are no major pro franchises here, so the action revolves around the Hawkeyes and Cyclones. None of our sportsbook partners currently operate in Iowa, so this page is an editorial guide to the licensed field.
Iowa sports betting in numbers
| Online betting | Yes, statewide via mobile apps |
| Retail betting | Yes, at state-licensed casinos |
| Legal age | 21+ (Iowa Code 99F.9) |
| Regulator | Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) |
| Law | SF 617, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in May 2019 |
| Launch | August 15, 2019 |
| Remote registration | Yes, since January 1, 2021 |
| Credit card deposits | Not allowed |
| Betting on in-state college teams | Yes |
| Online casinos | Not legal |
| Tax on operator revenue | 6.75% of net receipts under SF 617 |
Is sports betting legal in Iowa?
Yes. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed SF 617 in May 2019, and Iowa’s first legal sports bets were taken on August 15, 2019, making it one of the earliest states to launch after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban in 2018. The IRGC licenses and audits every book.
For the first 16 months, Iowa required you to open your account in person at a casino before betting on your phone. Iowa Code 99F.9 limited that to accounts opened “prior to January 1, 2021,” and once remote sign-up arrived the mobile market took off. You must be 21 or older and physically in Iowa to place a wager.
How the Iowa market works
Iowa’s sportsbook licenses run through its state-licensed casinos. Each casino can partner with online operators (known as skins), which is why such a deep field of national brands is live in a state of about 3.2 million people. Operators include:
| Sportsbook | Mobile app | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | iOS and Android | National market leader |
| FanDuel | iOS and Android | Polished app, strong same-game parlays |
| BetMGM | iOS and Android | MGM Rewards integration |
| Caesars Sportsbook | iOS and Android | Caesars Rewards; Caesars runs Harrah’s and Horseshoe in Council Bluffs |
| bet365 | iOS and Android | Deep in-play markets |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | iOS and Android | FanCash rewards |
| BetRivers | iOS and Android | iRush Rewards |
| theScore Bet | iOS and Android | Penn Entertainment’s book |
| Circa Sports | iOS and Android | Las Vegas book known for high limits |
This is editorial coverage only. Welcome offers change frequently and vary by state, so check each operator’s own terms page before opting in.
What you can bet on in Iowa
Iowa sportsbooks cover every major US and international league: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer, tennis, golf, MMA and motorsport, with moneylines, spreads, totals, parlays, same-game parlays, futures, player props and live in-play markets.
Betting on the Hawkeyes and Cyclones
College sport is the local heartbeat. The Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium and Carver-Hawkeye Arena and the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum drive big handle, with the Cy-Hawk game a September highlight. Drake and Northern Iowa add college basketball interest. Iowa allows betting on in-state college teams; prop availability on individual college athletes varies by book, so check the app before game day. Iowa also has history here: a 2023 state investigation into sports wagering by athletes at Iowa and Iowa State made national news and shaped how the schools and regulators approach betting integrity.
Local and global events to bet on in Iowa
With no major pro franchise, loyalties scatter across nearby Midwest teams: the Chiefs, Bears, Packers and Vikings in the NFL, and the Cubs, Twins and Royals in baseball. Away from the local teams, Iowa apps carry the same big-ticket events as everywhere else: the Super Bowl, March Madness, the NBA Finals, the World Series, the majors and the Grand Slams.
Bet types explained
The moneyline is the simplest: a straight pick of the winner, say the Hawkeyes to win outright. A point spread evens out a mismatch by handicapping the favorite, while a total asks only whether the combined score clears a line. From there, Iowa bettors build parlays (several legs, all must win), same-game parlays from a single Hawkeyes game, season-long futures, and live in-play markets.
Taxes, deposits and payouts in Iowa
SF 617 set the operator tax at 6.75% of net receipts. For bettors, winnings are taxable income on your Iowa and federal returns, and larger wins can trigger a W-2G. From the 2026 tax year, the federal deduction for gambling losses is capped at 90% of losses.
Iowa Code 99F.9 bars licensees from accepting a credit card for sports wagering, so fund your account with online banking, a debit card, PayPal or another e-wallet, or cash at a partner casino cage. Withdrawals to PayPal or online banking are usually fastest once your identity is verified, and your first withdrawal triggers a one-time identity (KYC) check.
Iowa betting apps and geolocation
Every Iowa book ships iOS and Android apps with geolocation built in. That matters on the borders: Council Bluffs sits across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska, and the Quad Cities straddle the Mississippi between Davenport and Illinois. Your app goes by where your phone is, not where you live, so a bet placed from the Illinois side runs under Illinois rules and Illinois-licensed books.
Choosing an Iowa sportsbook
Iowa’s low tax and crowded field mean real value if you shop around. Compare how each app prices Hawkeyes and Cyclones games, live-betting depth and withdrawal speed. With this many apps live, keeping two or three accounts lets you take the best price.
How to check whether an Iowa sportsbook is legal
A licensed Iowa book shows its IRGC approval in the app or footer, verifies you’re 21 or older, refuses credit card deposits, and runs a geolocation check before each bet. If a site takes crypto only, claims you need “no ID”, or is licensed offshore, it isn’t regulated in Iowa. Since July 1, 2026, SF 2289 has also given the IRGC cease-and-desist powers against unlicensed gambling operators.
Responsible gambling in Iowa
Licensed Iowa books build in deposit and time limits, cool-offs and self-exclusion, so lean on them early. Iowa’s state-funded support service, Your Life Iowa, offers free, confidential help, and 1-800-GAMBLER is available 24/7.
Iowa sports betting in 2027
The IRGC’s new enforcement powers
SF 2289 took effect on July 1, 2026, letting the IRGC issue cease-and-desist orders to unlicensed operators across sports wagering, fantasy, ADW and sweepstakes. 2027 will show how aggressively it uses them.
Prediction markets in the Eighth Circuit
Federal appeals courts split in 2026 over whether states can regulate Kalshi’s sports contracts. Iowa sits in the Eighth Circuit, and New Jersey’s Supreme Court petition could settle the question nationally.
Tax debates in Des Moines
Iowa’s 6.75% rate is among the lowest in the country, which makes it a perennial target when lawmakers look for revenue. Watch the 2027 session for any change to SF 617’s rate.
What is the best sportsbook in Iowa?
DraftKings and FanDuel are the biggest Iowa apps, BetMGM and Caesars add loyalty perks, and Circa Sports appeals to bettors who want sharper lines. Iowa’s crowded field means the best book changes game to game, so keep two or three accounts and compare Hawkeyes and Cyclones prices.
How many sportsbooks are legal in Iowa?
Around a dozen online books operate, including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, bet365, Fanatics, BetRivers, theScore Bet and Circa Sports.
Can I bet on the Iowa Hawkeyes or Iowa State?
Yes. Iowa allows betting on in-state college teams. Check each app for which player prop markets it offers on college athletes.
Can I use a credit card at Iowa sportsbooks?
No. Iowa Code 99F.9 bars licensees from accepting credit cards for sports wagering. Use online banking, a debit card or an e-wallet.
Do I have to live in Iowa to bet?
No. You only have to be physically inside Iowa when you place a bet. Remote registration has been allowed since January 1, 2021.
What is the legal sports betting age in Iowa?
21, under Iowa Code 99F.9.
Do I pay tax on sports betting winnings in Iowa?
Yes. Winnings are taxable income on your Iowa and federal returns. The 6.75% rate set by SF 617 is paid by operators, not bettors.
