Sports betting kiosks glitch at Prairie Meadows

The Iowa facility, Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, shut down its sports betting kiosks after a glitch.

US.- The Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona was forced to shut down its sports betting kiosks after a glitch. The machines started working by themselves in the middle of the night when they were supposed to be turned off.

Bian Ohoriko, the administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, explained that surveillance video showed that no one was present when the machines powered up in the middle of the night, AP reported. However, William Hill, the service provider, decided to shut them down until they can figure out the glitch.

While the sports betting kiosks are not available, sports betting is still working at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino. People that wish to place bets can do so in person at betting windows and on a mobile app.

Ohoriko said that besides this incident, so far sports betting has been running smoothly since it launched on August 15. Sports wagers at all Iowa casinos totalled US$8.5 million in August.

Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Altoona was the facility with the best numbers in August. The casino totalled US$3.4 million in sports handle and paid approximately US$2.9 million to gamblers. It also contributed US$35k to the state, which is US$3k higher than what Ameristar II registered. The latter came in second place as it reported US$1.3 million in sports betting handle and US$884k in payouts.

Iowa became in August the 11th in the US to launch sports betting. However, Iowa is also the first in the Midwest to allow that gambling modality. Current laws allow Iowans to bet at casinos or online through a mobile app, though they have to be in the state to be able to bet.