Lang
7/31/19
Gambling on sports is coming to Iowa, and Riverside Casino is getting in on the action in two weeks.
Riverside general manager Dan Franz tells The Cedar Rapids Gazette that a ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for Thursday, August 15th for a new sportsbook at the resort. Launch parties are also planned for the first full weekend of college football on August 24th and 25th.
The Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on Tuesday approved the new rules to legally bet on professional, collegiate and international sporting events. The new law also legalizes fantasy sports contests and internet fantasy sports betting, but delays betting based on college sporting event statistics until next May.
The new law excludes betting on some events, like in-state college team players. While it allows betting on-site or through a mobile app, players must first travel to a casino to prove their age and identity and set up an account with that casino. Mobile apps also will only be operable within state borders. So, for example, residents in Moline or Rock Island would have to cross state lines each time they wished to place a bet on their phones.
Sports betting in Iowa officially goes into effect at noon on August 15th.