In Iowa, you are not presently permitted to play at online casinos, but there are several land-based options.
Iowa has long been one of the more open states to casino gaming. While not as brazen as Nevada, the Hawkeye State has established a buzzing casino gaming scene that’s powered by a legacy built around the Mississippi River.
With over 20 casino operations dotted around the state, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Iowa online casino sites were thriving, too. Despite the state’s current gambling scene being more modern, Iowa hasn’t legalized online or mobile casino gaming.
Iowa Legal Online Gambling Overview
If you like retail or online sports betting, then Iowa offers what you’re seeking. Ditto if you are a fan of going to the casino to play some slots or get in on a little table game action. However, if you want the opportunity to engage in some online casino gambling from the comfort of your own home, that’s not on the agenda yet. You’ll need to settle with some social casino action for the time being.
There’s also live horse racing to bet on in the state and daily fantasy sports. The Iowa lottery launched in 1985.
Iowa’s Best Gambling Sites
When it comes to online sports betting, Iowa was quick off the mark. The US Supreme Court overturned the ban of sports betting in the spring of 2018. By the summer of 2019, Iowa had passed legislation legalizing retail and online sports betting in the state.
There are currently 17 different sportsbooks operating in the Hawkeye State. These are some of the better options.
BetMGM
A massive array of bet types and betting markets, a sleek and inviting site and mobile app and a world-class rewards program are all perks you can count on when signing up with BetMGM. And they will give new players up to $1500 in bonus bets if their first wager with BetMGM fails to cash.
BetRivers
Going live in Iowa on January 1, 2021, BetRivers was the first sports betting site in Iowa to have an online and mobile only presence. They start off newcomers with a second chance bet worth as much as $100. Their iRush Rewards VIP loyalty program is outstanding and includes the opportunity to exchange points for prizes inside their bonus store. You can also redeem bonus store points for such items as same-game parlay boosts, standard parlay boosts, and regular bet profit boosts.
Bet365
They offer you options as a new player at Bet365 Iowa. You can take a bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets as a welcome bonus. Or you can opt for the Bet365 first bet safety net, which will return to you up to $1000 in bonus bets if your first bet with them isn’t a winner. Bet365 is known for being an industry leader in live in-play wagering and helped to make popular live streaming of events.
Betfred
Smaller in size and stature compared to some of the other US sports betting sites, Betfred makes up for that by offering more personal services. These include exclusive weekly bets, boosted odds and bonus offers to VIP and loyalty program members. Betfred will give new players up to $105 in bonus bets, or what they call FredBets, if your first bet with them isn’t a winner.
Indiana Online Casinos
There are currently 23 physical casinos operating in the state of Iowa. Four of them are tribal owned, with three situated on riverboats. There’s one racino and the remaining are all land-based commercial casinos.
As for online casinos, bids put forth in the state legislature to legalize them fell short in both 2023 and 2024. With an election year looming and potential change in the makeup of the state government, it’s more than likely that any new bills designed to legalize online casino gambling will be put on hold in order to get newcomers up to speed on the issue. That makes the arrival of legal and regulated online casino gambling in Iowa an extreme longshot for 2025 as well.
Iowa Online Gambling Sites 2025
Iowa online casino sites are still illegal. While Iowa did get involved in the gambling reforms that swept the United States, the focus has been to establish a healthy land and remote sports betting scene. However, this is seemingly at the expense of an online casino in Iowa, which is still not legal to operate or use in the state.
Based on the current laws in Iowa BetMGM, Caesars, Betrivers are among the first casinos expected to go live in the state in 2025 or 2026.
You can place real money bets at these Iowa legal gambling platforms, but online casinos are not live yet.
Online casino games in Iowa are still illegal. Without an online casino in Iowa to offer the games, the gambling scene still doesn’t play host to the best games available online. Of course, the busy land-based casino scene has enough action to keep venues competitive and are always seeking that next innovative breakthrough, but the latest and greatest games online remain out of reach to residents.
Iowa Online Casino Bonuses
Online casino apps in Iowa are still illegal. Just as you can’t find a legal online casino in Iowa, you also can’t tap your way to a regulated casino app: the casino apps are invariably tied to casino sites. As sports betting is present on land and via mobile, it seems likely that Iowa online casino apps would emerge if the activity is legalized. Check back on aGamble.com for future developments and view currently available casino apps in the USA.
In Iowa, you are not permitted to claim online casino bonuses. The Hawkeye State doesn’t permit online casino play for real money and hasn’t licensed any operators. So, it’s currently illegal to sign-up to an online casino and claim the bonuses on offer.
In Iowa, you can’t access the best online casino bonus offers. The top bonus offers are designed to appeal to newcomers and give them even more gaming time, such as through bonus funds or free spins. However, without legal casinos in the state, there aren’t any top bonuses for you to claim.
View top casino promotions and legal casino websites in NJ, PA, WV and MI.
Top Land-based Casinos in Iowa
You’re welcome to explore the state’s many in-person casinos in Iowa. The Hawkeye State is one of the most open to in-person casino gaming, with there being over 20 venues to shape the Iowa gambling scene. Among these, you’ll find Native American halls and a riverboat casino. For the most iconic experience, it’s tough to look beyond the water-based Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs. The all-entertainment package of Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque also proves popular.
Iowa Online Gambling Laws & Options
The good news for gamblers is that the Hawkeye State has some of the most liberal betting laws in the US, with Iowa among those that carried the baton for online sports betting, campaigning beginning even before the Supreme Court ruling that the ban on sports betting was unconstitutional.
It may have been behind the likes of Delaware and New Jersey in the race to introduce legislation, with Iowa legalizing both online and land-based sports betting in 2019. There are a number of apps available to gamblers offering a variety of incentives to sign up, with around a dozen online sportsbooks active in Iowa like Betway, Unibet, and BetRivers, and many more likely to launch in the near future.
Along with online options, many of the land-based casinos also have sportsbooks on site, with horse race betting also available, along with the state’s well-established lottery.
Here is the list of the top-rated apps for betting and the best sportsbook offers for new customers.
Iowa Online Casinos ↗
The state has not made any provision for online casinos, with many land-based venues offering a variety of live and electronic games for customers. Offshore sportsbooks offering online casino play are operating outside US law and offer no consumer protection.
The best Iowa online casinos that can go live soon:
Online Poker ↗
There are no online legal poker sites available in Iowa but there are a number of different poker games available at the state’s land-based casinos. Pokerstars is not live in Iowa yet.
Iowa Lotteries ↗
The state lottery has been running since 1985 with tickets available through the many retailers in Iowa. The age limit is 21 for the lottery and there are no online ticket sales.
Iowa Sweepstakes Casinos
You might not be able to win real money playing online casino games in Iowa, but you can play those games without risking any money. You do this via social or sweepstakes casinos. Unlike real money online casinos, you play for fun with gold coins, or you can use sweeps coins and exchange any winnings for prizes.
Here’s a look at some of the top social casinos in the Hawkeye State.
WOW Vegas Casino: At the WOW Vegas Casino, instead of gold coins, regular play is done with what they term WOW coins. And they’ll give you 250,000 of them to start off with, along with five sweeps coins. You’ll find more than 800 slots to try out at their site, but sadly, no table games.
Chanced Casino: Variety is the spice of life inside the Chanced Casino. Take their game options. You can play slots, table games, inside a live dealer studio, keno and scratch cards. Chanced Casino also offers their own exclusive games. They welcome you with an excellent bonus package of 10,000 gold coins, 20 free spins, and two free sweeps coins.
McLuck Casino: They’ll start you off with 7500 gold coins and 2.5 sweeps coins when you join the McLuck Casino. There are plenty of slots to play and a live dealer area, but standard table game selection is limited. However, at any time you can hit one of their McJackpots, which fall randomly during regular game play.
Iowa Online Gambling FAQs
The state initially required in-person registration at one of the land-based casinos in Iowa as part of the process for signing up to bet online, but that ended in 2021.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission regulates gambling in the state with an age limit of 21 for all forms of gambling.
Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) regulates gambling in the state.
Yes, you can bet on all of Iowa professionals sports teams and NCAA Division I college teams in the state.
Gambling is enjoyable for many but for some it can become problematic; if you, or a friend or relative, is struggling to cope with their gambling, help is available Iowa – National Council on Problem Gambling (ncpgambling.org). Sports bettors can also self-exclude from betting by filling out a form with the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission. There are several gambling addiction support groups available in the state, including the Gamblers Anonymous (www.gamblersanonymous.org) and Iowa Gambling Treatment Program (www.idph.iowa.gov/igtp).
The state successfully legalized DFS events in 2019 with residents allowed to participate in a range of sports competitions run by the likes of FanDuel and DraftKings.
There is one track in the state, Prairie Meadows, with live racing, on-site betting and simulcast racing, while several of Iowa’s casinos have off-track betting available. Bettors also have the option of placing bets online using advance-deposit wagering operators like BetAmerica and TVG.
In Iowa, you must report wins over $600 on your tax report. Everyone in the United States is subject to income tax on their gambling winnings via their federal tax returns. Your annual gambling wins are subject to a 24 percent rate in federal taxes and 5 percent withholding in Iowa.
There isn’t a concerted effort to legalize online casino games in Iowa, with lawmakers being content with the current state of gambling in the state.
Mobile casinos invariably come under the same umbrella as online casinos, both of which are outlawed in the state.
You have to be at least 21-years-old to play casino games in Iowa. There is only one Iowa gambling activity that you can partake in before turning 21-years-old, with bingo allowing 18-year-olds. Other than that, casinos and Iowa gambling require you to be at least 21-years-old.
