There are winds of change blowing across Iowa – especially when it comes to the state’s sports betting market. Analysts are expecting the industry to boom this year, with a number of significant changes to local gambling laws coming into effect. The biggest changes are expected to be felt in the mobile betting sphere.
Perhaps the biggest improvement will be the way players sign up for a sports betting account. The same law which launched the industry, now allows them to open an account online, no matter where they live within Iowa’s borders. It does away with the need for players to have to go in-person to a physical sportsbook and create an account and place a bet, which has been a requirement since the launch of the market since August, 2019.
The sign up process will be simple, requiring only that players provide basic details such as their name, address, email, birthdate and the last four digits of their social security number.
Keloland.com online publication quoted the director of sports books operations at the Sioux City Hardrock Hotel and Casino, Anthony Torres as saying: “It now allows us to market and reach customers who didn’t necessarily have an opportunity to come to the Hardrock and enjoy what we have going on right here, and now they have the opportunity to do so online.”
The easy accessibility of mobile sports betting will no doubt see significant growth in the market. The upcoming months will be a true test for the fledgling online sports betting market in Iowa, as players will be able to take advantage of major sports events such as the NCAA Championship, March Madness and the Super Bowl.
If anything, Iowan casinos are looking forward to tapping into this new income source, as the pandemic saw them lose millions of dollars, due to lost traffic to their brick-and-mortar properties.
