Sports betting: Iowa scraps in-person registration

Previously citizens in Iowa had to travel to a licensed land-based site to register for online sports betting.

US.- Industry experts have predicted that the Iowa sports betting market could take off in 2021 after legislators scrapped in-person sports betting registration.

Previous law stated that Iowa citizens would have to travel to a licensed brick-and-mortar gaming facility in the state in order to create an online sports betting account.

Under the new law, sports bettors in the state will be able to create an account from any location using their own device.

Gamblers will only need to provide a name, address, phone number, email, birth date and the last four digits of their social security number to register online.

With the sports betting market more easily accessible to citizens in Iowa, industry experts predict a boom in the market in 2021.

Director of Sports Books Operation at the Sioux City Hardrock Hotel and Casino, Anthony Torres, said: “It now allows us to market and reach customers who didn’t necessarily have an opportunity to come to the Hardrock and enjoy what we have going on right here, and now they have the opportunity to do so online.

“You’ll still be able to enjoy our retail experience here, and our loyal customers are doing so, and we will not see a drop in that, but we will see an increase, and the state will see an increase in online participants.”

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Iowa’s 3.16 million population wagered over $400m in the first 12 months of legal betting.