Eight casinos are primed to open sportsbooks at noon Thursday, the day legal Iowa sports betting starts in the state. Of those, seven are expected to offer mobile wagering.
Brian Ohorilko, administrator for the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, told Legal Sports Report the following casinos are preparing to launch sportsbooks on opening day:
- Prairie Meadows
- Lakeside
- Isle Waterloo
- Isle Bettendorf
- Rhythm City
- Riverside
- Ameristar Council Bluffs
- Catfish Bend
“No one as we sit here today has received authorization to go live, but those are the eight operators that I believe will be ready to go,” Ohorilko said.
The four William Hill properties (Prairie, Lakeside, the Isles) and three using Bet.Works as an online partner (Riverside, Rhythm and Grand Falls) are on track to start mobile Iowa sports betting.
Ohorilko indicated that the commission is still reviewing controls. He expects to issue online licenses along with authorization to go live to those that indicated they are ready by the end of Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.
Approval to create mobile sports betting accounts
As soon as Tuesday, people will be able to sign up for mobile Iowa sports betting accounts in person at some casinos.
The commission issued letters Monday authorizing the William Hill and Bet.Works properties that are expected to take mobile bets Thursday to accept sign-ups for advance deposit sports wagering accounts.
It also did so for PointsBet/Catfish and Ameristar for later.
Celebrations for Iowa sports betting launch
William Hill issued a press release confirming plans to commence Iowa sports betting at its four properties Thursday.
Hall of Fame baseball player Andre Dawson will place the ceremonial first bet at the Isle Casino Waterloo sportsbook.
Joseph Reynolds, a World War II veteran who resides in Clarke County, will make the first wager at Lakeside Casino.
Other Iowa sportsbooks coming soon
Ohorilko expects the rest of the 18 casinos who applied for Iowa sports betting licenses to be operational on the retail side by NFL season, which begins Sept. 5.
Most are targeting launches the weeks of Aug. 19 or 26, before the first full week of college football games. Mobile launches will be much more spread out.
“Some applications for advance deposit sports wagering are still a ways out,” Ohorilko said. “They may not happen as quickly as they had anticipated.”