Iowa Betting Sites

Our Top Iowa Sports Betting Sites - September 2023

Is Online Betting Legal in Iowa?

Iowa was part of the first wave of states to legalize sports betting, becoming the eleventh to enact new gambling legislation in August 2019. The Hawkeye State was an early trendsetter in the upper Midwest as Governor Kim Reynolds signed SF 617 into law in May 2019. Iowans had to wait a couple of months before sports betting officially launched in August 2019. 

The state still has a complete online casino ban, with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission not currently authorized to issue iGaming licenses. However, players can enjoy social and sweepstakes casinos due to their innovative virtual currency mechanics. 

Popular Sports to Bet on in Iowa

Iowa lacks many top-tier sporting franchises, but this doesn’t stop bettors from enjoying an exciting variety of sports. We’ll go into more detail on the most popular choices below: 

NFL

Hawkeye State football fans don’t have their own NFL franchise, although nearby teams include the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. These are some of the most successful teams in the competition’s history, with the Packers winning the championship on 13 occasions. Sports betting on NFL games can encompass numerous betting markets, with sportsbooks like DraftKings offering an extensive number of prop options and player parlays. 

NBA

The NBA delivers over 1,000 individual basketball betting events during the season, so it’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular sports to bet on for Iowans. The high-scoring and frenetic nature of the games make them particularly exciting for in-play wagering, especially at leading sportsbooks like BetRivers offering NBA live streaming. Nikola Jokic helped the Denver Nuggets to their maiden NBA Championship victory in 2023 after an all-star performance against the Miami Heat. 

MLB 

Major League Baseball offers the longest ongoing professional sports season in the US, with franchises playing over 150 games during the year. MLB odds are abundant at IA sportsbook, making the sport another of the most popular wagering options. The action culminates with the World Series, with the Houston Astros lifting their second trophy at Minute Maid Park in the 2022 season. Top-spec sports betting sites like DraftKings Sportsbooks offer same-game MLB parlays, where you can place predictions on several players under the same bet. 

NHL

Ice hockey is a versatile sport for betting. Iowans can choose various types of NHL bets, from straightforward moneylines, to puck line bets on the margin of victory, or individual player props on the number of successful assists during a game. Thirty-two teams from Canada and the US compete in the league, with the Stanley Cup — North America’s oldest professional sports trophy — waiting for the overall victor. 

Horse Racing

Iowa has a rich equestrian history, with the state’s rolling plains providing fertile ground for racing and breeding. Bettors have several graded horse racing events to enjoy in Iowa during the season, including the Cornhusker Handicap, Iowa Derby, and Iowa Oaks. These all take place at Prairie Meadows. Alternatively, IA sportsbooks also offer odds on thousands of international races.

Betting Markets Available in Iowa

One of the main obstacles for sports betting beginners to navigate is the different betting markets available. Bettors can often access hundreds of specific wagers during an NFL game, for example. Getting the most out of the impressive number of possibilities is fundamental to your overall enjoyment, but you can’t do so without a complete understanding of how to approach these markets. BettingOdds.US is here to walk you through the most popular options. Check below for the lowdown. 

Moneyline

A moneyline bet is an outright prediction on which team or player will win. Sportsbooks set the odds using either positive (indicating the underdogs) or negative (designating the favorites) numbers. Positive odds show the potential profit from a $100 stake, and negative odds reveal how much you need to bet to win $100. We’ll give you a quick example below: 

• Denver Broncos +250 
• Kansas City Chiefs -400

The Chiefs are the overwhelming favorite, and you’d need to stake $400 to get $100 profit. On the other hand, the Broncos are the underdogs, with a $100 stake generating $250 profit. 

Parlay

Parlay bets are some of the most dynamic and exciting options, especially with the constantly evolving features introduced by market-leading sportsbooks. At their core, parlay bets involve several different wagers under the same overall stake. This usually involves things like five moneyline predictions during an NFL week or major soccer tournament. 

Each individual leg of a parlay bet multiplies the potential payout, generating much larger potential profits for winners. The odds of making a correct prediction are also very steep, which is the main tradeoff. Some platforms also offer same-game parlays, where bettors can construct wagers covering things like the first touchdown scorer, number of passing yards, overall result, and total points. 

Over/Under

Over/under bets are useful for tight match-ups and events that are difficult to call. Instead of choosing the winning team or player, bettors must predict whether the total of a particular match statistic will be above or below the line set by their sportsbook. 

For example, a sports betting platform may offer a totals market of 6.5 home runs during an MLB game. The odds for over or under will show you the potential payout for a winning bet — just use the same rule we laid out in the moneyline section.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Using Against the Spread bets is a great way to bend the odds of regular moneyline bets in your favor. Also known as spread betting, it requires bettors to predict the margin of victory alongside the match result. One of the benefits is that you can still win a spread bet by backing the losing team if they suffer defeat by fewer points. We’ll clear things up with an example: 

• Denver Broncos +9.5 
• Kansas City Chiefs -12.5

Using these theoretical spread betting odds, a bet on the Broncos will succeed if they lose by less than 9.5 points. On the other hand, bets on the Chiefs will win if they win by more than 12.5 points. The odds on spread betting markets are typically -110 for both teams, as the spread is used to even up the chances of each outcome. 

Betting Apps Available in Iowa

Betting apps are the most popular options for Iowa bettors, mainly due to their significantly improved practicality compared to desktop sites. Sitting at a computer to place your bets is a thing of the past, and even HTML5 mobile browser sites are dated compared to the latest mobile apps. 

Applications from the likes of DraftKings Sportsbook and Caesars offer first-rate designs, advanced security features, mobile-specific promos, and many more advantages. We’ve listed our favorites below: 

• Caesars Sportsbook IA App: The Caesars Sportsbook app was admittedly poor before the 2021 redevelopment, but the institutional gambling brand has certainly learned from its mistakes. The new software is among the industry’s most powerful, ensuring a glitch-free betting experience underpinned by an easy-to-navigate layout and powerful Caesars Rewards promotions. 
• DraftKings Sportsbook IA App: The DraftKings Sportsbook app is a favorite for many bettors due to its superb design, smooth software, and astonishingly deep market coverage. Creating a mobile betting app that simultaneously allows betting on things like the Azerbaijani soccer league while deftly simplifying the search process isn't easy, but DraftKings does it with great success. The mobile live streaming and in-play wagering suite is also the best on the market. 
• FanDuel Sportsbook IA App: FanDuel has one of the all-time best mobile betting apps for iOS and Android. Everything about the software oozes class, and the brand’s recent addition of a dedicated horse racing section has elevated the experience even further. With a 4.8 out of 5 rating on the App Store after more than a million reviews, it’s clear that most bettors agree.

Payment Methods Available at Iowa Betting Sites

Iowa has almost two dozen sportsbooks, leaving bettors with a wide choice of potential payment methods. Examining the options is key to the optimal route to go down. If you’re after rapid transactions and convenience, e-wallets might be the best bet. On the other hand, bettors concerned with budgeting could prefer prepaid cards. We’ve outlined the fundamental choices below.

Bank Cards 

Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and other bank cards are the most widely available payment methods at Iowa sportsbooks. They’re great options for beginners and bettors not confident with some of the newer technology out there, and the process is the same as conventional online shopping. The requirement to share card details is a slight drawback compared to other methods like e-wallets or prepaid cards, but users benefit from more advanced bank-level security features like fraud protection. 

e-Wallets 

PayPal is the most famous e-wallet, enjoying a stellar reputation for its convenient design, fast payout speeds, and top-spec security. Iowans can also use other options like Skrill and Venmo, with each provider offering slightly different selling points. e-Wallets are great for budgeting as they force users to keep their betting bankroll in a different account to their bank. They also provide payments without as much personal data sharing — a huge bonus for bettors who value anonymity. Unfortunately, e-wallets are regularly omitted from welcome bonuses, so reading the terms and conditions before depositing is essential. 

Prepaid Cards

Paysafecard and Play+ are the most popular prepaid cards on US sports betting sites. These banking options are less convenient but can be much better for bettors searching for optimized responsible gambling methods. Prepaid cards only allow bettors to deposit a predetermined amount and the maximum limit is typically much lower than elsewhere. It’s consequently much harder to overspend and a lot easier to budget. Withdrawals aren’t widely supported using prepaid cards — their main downside. 

Wire Transfer

Wire transfer is one of the oldest banking methods at Iowa sportsbooks, harking back to a time without sophisticated online banking and e-wallets. The main thing to bear in mind regarding wire transfers are the lengthier withdrawal and deposit times. But if you’re willing to be patient, wire transfers do reward users with safe and reliable transactions. As a result, it’s still a popular method among high rolling sports bettors.

Iowa Betting Timeline

To put the recent Iowa sports betting boom into context, here is a timeline exploring the vital stages so far: 

• May 2018: The PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) is struck down by the Supreme Court. 
• May 2019: Governor Kim Reynolds signs SF 617 to legalize sports betting. 
• August 2019: In-person and online sports betting launches in Iowa.  

Compare Iowa Betting Sites and Sign Up

Iowa sports bettors can currently enjoy more than 16 sportsbooks, with more operators slated to launch soon. BettingOdds is the best place to stay up to date with recent gambling developments in the Hawkeye State and learn about the best platforms. Our experts have found the best sites and organized them in handy comparison charts that you can use to select your optimal sportsbook. Afterwards, use our sign-up links to claim welcome bonuses and get started. 

Frequently Asked Questions