Iowa casinos eye sports betting
Tribal casinos WinnaVegas Casino Resort and Blackbird Bend Casino are seeking to get into Iowa’s sports betting soon.
US.- Two tribal casinos in Iowa want to offer sports betting and join state-licensed counterparts in the area. WinnaVegas Casino Resort and Blackbird Bend Casino, operated by the Winnebago and Omaha tribes, want to score licences for themselves.
WinnaVegas Casino Resort expects to launch its sportsbook by August, before the American football season begins.
“We are waiting for the (Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission) to develop the rules for the state of Iowa that we will use,” WinnaVegas CEO Mayan Beltran said. “Whatever the law allows, we will make available to our guests.”
Blackbird Bend Casino is also interested in Iowa’s sports betting market, Chief Operating Officer Brad Appleton revealed.
“The probability is pretty high… We will not go into a full-blown sports parlour, but we will have a sports wagering system available, through a kiosk or such system,” Appleton said.
The segment’s legalisation
The sports betting segment continues to grow in the US and expands into several states. Iowa has become the latest to welcome it after Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill passed by the Legislature.
American Gaming Association’s Sara Slane as quoted by Legal Sports Report, celebrated the legalisation. She said that Iowa had “set its legal sports betting market up for success with a reasonable tax rate, mobile wagering, strong consumer protections and provisions that put responsible gaming at the forefront.”
