Iowa governor undecided on sports betting
The Iowa Senate and House approved sports betting but the Governor is delaying her signature as she is undecided.
US.- Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said this week that she has received a lot of opinions in regards to a possible sports betting legalisation, but she is still undecided. Despite the fact that she claims she has received a lot of input, she still hasn’t said whether she will sign the bill into law or not.
“I’m hearing on both sides, I’ve had a lot of people reach out,” Reynolds said. The bill would allow casinos to accept bets on professional and college sports, through smartphones or at brick-and-mortar facilities.
The Iowa governor said that many people don’t want her to sign the bill, hence why she is undecided. “They’re concerned about addiction to gambling and the impact that this may have. I had a lot of other people who have indicated it is happening. It is going to continue to happen — and they think it is very important that we have some oversight.”
Furthermore, she added that she will treat the bill like all the other she’s received in the past. She added that she will go over it with her team and make a decision on whether to sign it into law. She has 30 days from the close of the legislative session Saturday to take action on the bill.
The bill legalises fantasy sports
The bill also legalises daily fantasy sports (DFS) and fantasy sports contests. However, it delays betting based on college sporting events at least until May 2020. Furthermore, sports betting will also be available for people over 21 and sets a 6.75% tax on net receipts. Lawmakers believe that fantasy sports could greatly contribute to the state’s finances. They believe that taxes and licensing fees could bring up to US$2.3 million to US$4 million annually in revenue.
