Online Gaming in Iowa

Online poker has been on the legislative radar for Iowa since 2011, but there haven't been enough votes in the Iowa House of Representatives for any bill to pass. In 2011, a "study bill" passed that authorized the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission to study online poker.

After the study – which estimated that online poker would bring at least $3 million into the state's coffers – was completed, the Iowa Senate introduced legislation that would create a single poker network in the state.

The Senate passed the legislation in 2012, but it failed to clear the House. Similar legislation failed to clear the House in 2013.

In March 2015, a bill that would legalize real-money daily fantasy sports passed a vote in the state Senate. The bill, SF 166, was shelved in 2016 and has not picked up steam since.

April 2017 saw House Study Bill 52 clear the House Ways and Means Committee by a vote of 23-2 and move on to a full House debate. However, the bill ended up on the shelf for the year's session, resulting in no movement for the state's fantasy sports discussion.

While efforts to pass a daily fantasy sports bill have failed in Iowa, Representative Ken Rizer, chairman of Iowa House’s State Government Committee, introduced a sports betting bill in February 2018. The first draft of the bill allowed advance deposit wagering (ADW) with state-licensed operators, meaning customers could deposit remotely online and use approved mobile apps to place wagers.

In December 2018, lawmakers announced they were working on a draft of a bill that would make lottery tickets available for purchase via the Iowa Lottery's website and mobile app, beginning in 2019.

Residents of Iowa still can’t purchase lottery tickets via the state’s Lottery website or mobile app.

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