Iowa on Thursday became the 11th US state and first in the Mid-West to legally accept sports wagers.
In doing so, it won the race against Indiana which is only set to begin taking bets next month.
Illinois has also approved sports-betting but lags far behind. It is still in the process of drafting its rules.
Following in the footsteps of the year-old New Jersey sports-betting industry, Iowa has boldly gone the whole hog. Punters will be able to make bets online as well as in-person at betting lounges.
Casinos at Altoona, Bettendorf, Osceola, and Waterloo are already offering this option. Two more are well on the way to adding mobile apps to their up and running, in-person betting facilities.
And this is just for starters, in the view of Brian Ohorilka, the Iowa Racing, and Gaming Administrator. He expects most of the state’s 19 Casinos to eventually follow in their footsteps.
State Senator Tony Bisagnano placed the first bet
Meanwhile, a bill signed by Governor Kim Reynolds in May saw State Senator Tony Bisignano place Iowa’s first bet. This took place at the William Hill sportsbook at the Meadows Casino in Altoona on Thursday, August 15. He put his money on Iowa State Cyclones beating Iowa Hawkeyes in their football match on September 14.
Like all would-be Iowa punters will have to do, he had first to register in person at the Casino. They’ll have to do this for proof of identity – age and must be 21 or over.
Because Casinos in Iowa are wide-spread, officials don’t see this as being a long-term draw-back. And that includes for punters from adjoining states where sports betting is not legal.
Its border Casinos will make it easy for these punters to register. It will also make the journey short when they nip across the border to vote. The Federal Wire act disallows online and telegraphic betting to take place across state lines. It does not, however, prevent non-residents from crossing into legal wagering territory to bet.
Ameristar expecting bettors from Nebraska, Missouri
For example, Paul Czak, GM of Ameristar in Council Bluffs, expects to see bettors from Nebraska and Missouri. This especially with fans of the Nebraska Cornhuskers who will need only cross the Missouri River to make their bets
He told AP News.com: “When I looked yesterday, Nebraska was 3-to-1 odds to win their half of the Big 10. They were also 12-to-1 to win the Big 10 itself and 66-to-1 to win the national championship.”
“So I would guess there will be a lot of futures bets being placed tonight and during this weekend.”
In 2018, New Jersey benefited handsomely from its proximity to New York and Pennsylvania, where online betting was not available.
Don’t be too surprised to see something similar happening in Iowa, albeit on a smaller scale.
With 3.156 million people to the Garden State’s 9.2m, it’s not likely to become another New Jersey.
But with its mobile apps and low taxes (6.75%), it’s a good bet to become a shining star of the Mid-West.
