Iowa Gambling Laws – All You Need to Know
Gambling is a very popular form of entertainment in the USA and the Iowa state is one of the few with laxer regulations. In this article, we will be focusing on the Iowa gambling laws, give you a good overview of their history, mention what’s legal and what’s not, the Iowa gambling age and more.
Of course, there is no wonder why the gambling laws in Iowa are so allowing as the gaming sector bring up to $18 billion in revenue. That’s a large sum and on the territory of the state, you can find 23 land-based casinos that gamblers can enjoy. Without any further delay, let’s get more into detail regarding the Iowa state gambling laws.
What is Legal According to Iowa Gambling Laws?
In this section, we would like to show you what activities are considered legal according to the Iowa gambling laws. If you look at the table below, you will notice that most gambling forms are legal in the state, except for betting on dog races. Sports betting was legalized only recently in May 2019, as it was one of the few activities that were banned.
| Iowa Gambling Activity | Legal Status |
|---|---|
| 🎰 Casino Gambling: | Legal |
| 🃏 Poker: | Legal |
| 🏇 Horse Racing Betting: | Legal |
| 🐕 Dog Racing Betting: | Illegal |
| 🎉 Lottery: | Legal |
| 🎩 Charitable Gambling: | Legal |
| 🎲 Social Gambling (Limited to $50): | Legal |
| 🏈 Sports Betting (Land-Based): | Legal |
| 🏅 Daily Fantasy Sports: | Unspecified |
| 💻 Online Gambling: | Unspecified |
Please note that the only type of sports betting that is legal under the Iowa state gambling laws is in land-based facilities. It is illegal for online sports betting sites to operate in the state. That doesn’t mean that there is none available. By contrast to the best casino PayPal US sites, most online bookies operate offshore and are unregulated by the Iowa government.
The same goes for Daily Fantasy Sports, which may change soon. Iowa officials are planning to legalize and regulate DFS as it is one of the most favourite gambling activities for locals. All forms of online gambling are unregulated and considered a grey area as of writing this article. Bear in mind that laws may change based on the popular opinion of the voters.
History of Gambling Laws in Iowa
Let’s continue with a bit of the history of gambling in Iowa. All forms of gambling were illegal in the state between 1846 and 1972. In 1983 the Horse racing and pari-mutuel betting were legalised in the state. Shortly after that Greyhound racing was also made legal. Unfortunately, the glory days of dog racing is coming to an end in a few years for the state of Iowa.
Moving on, the Iowa Lottery was created in 1985, which sold scratch tickets, pull tabs and lotto tickets. In 2004, there were video lottery machines rolled out, which resembled casino slot games but were removed in 2006 due to complaints. Talking about casinos, Iowa is the first state to legalize riverboat casinos.
The first slot machines were authorized in 1994 and were placed on the pari-mutuel racetracks spread around the state. Finishing things off, the Iowa gambling laws finally recognized bingo as a legal activity in late 2000. This gave rise to an additional source of revenue that was very well received by Iowan gamblers.
The main regulatory body in the state is the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, which was created with the 1983 Pari-Mutuel Wagering Act. It oversees all forms of gambling and is the one issuing licenses to operators to offer their services in the state. As we mentioned earlier, it is yet to make a decision regarding regulation on online forms of gambling and daily fantasy sports.
Most Notable Iowa State Gambling Laws
While there are not many laws that we can put in this section, we would still like to show you the main events surrounding the evolution of the Iowa gambling laws. It seems to be a trend with this state that once a gambling form is considered legal, it stays that way. Here are the most notable changes to gambling laws in Iowa:
- Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Betting Act of 1983 – horse racing and pari-mutuel betting are legalized. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is created as a main regulatory body.
- 1985 – The Iowa Lottery is created and Greyhound racing becomes legal.
- 1994 – First slot machines authorised and placed at pari-mutuel racing tracks.
- 2000 – Bingo is legalised in the state.
- 2004 – Video lottery machines are introduced.
- 2006 – Video lottery machines removed due to overwhelming complaints.
- 2019 – Sports betting is made legal again.
Legal Age for Gambling in Iowa
A major part of the safety and regulation of gambling in Iowa is to protect minors and vulnerable people. In order to carry out any form of gambling in the state, the player needs to be 21 years old. This goes for both land-based and online operators.
Expected Legal Changes
At the time of writing this article the Iowa online gambling laws are a grey area. While the gambling laws in Iowa can be changed, we don’t see that happening in the near future, except for regulation on DFS. While it is illegal for an online operator to be based in the state, there are tons of off-shore sites available.
You can visit any of our best online casino USA sites and gamble there as long as you are 21 years old. You can find all of your favourite casino games and sports available there, as well as claim generous bonuses. Make sure to check in regularly as we will be updating both this article and our top casino list.
Final Thoughts on Iowa Gambling Laws
The Iowa gambling laws are more relaxed when it comes to what is allowed and what is not. As we have gone over it in our overview, you can participate in various casino games, sports betting, lottery and bingo. Since there are no real Iowa online gambling laws, you can enjoy playing at off-shore casino sites with ease and claim great rewards as long as you are over 21 years old.
FAQ
As our Iowa state gambling laws overview is coming to an end, we would like to showcase to you the most popular queries players have regarding the subject. We hope that we have helped you learn more about the Iowa gambling laws and removed any confusion. Make sure to read through all the questions and answers.
