DraftKings Drafted First To Offer DFS In Iowa

• Betting on sporting events became legalized in the state of Iowa in August.
• Due to some discrepancies, daily fantasy sports was not given the green light at the same time as sports wagering.
• After a back and forth with both FanDuel and DraftKings, the state has given approval to DraftKings to begin operations.

De Moines, IA. – Iowa has never given license approval for daily fantasy sports, until now. On Thursday, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approved DraftKings for the first DFS license to be awarded by the state.

“We are happy to confirm we have received our license to offer daily fantasy sports in Iowa after working collaboratively with the IRGC on this process, and look forward to sports fans in the Hawkeye State experiencing our industry-leading fantasy products soon,” said Timothy Dent, DraftKings’ chief financial and compliance officer.

Iowa made betting on sports legal in August, but hadn’t agreed upon the issue of DFS. The roadblock around DFS revolved around the specific legal requirements in the state when it comes to technology and the market for wagers on sports of any kind. Before any apps in the state are given approval to launch, they must go through a testing process. The DraftKings application passed these specific tests and was offered the first license, ousting FanDuel who is still seeking license approval by the state.

Earlier in the month, DraftKings opened sports betting lounges in the Hawkeye State at three separate locations. With those openings came the option of their mobile betting platforms for the new sportsbook locations.

“Football season is in full swing and it’s the perfect time to bring our retail sports betting experience to Iowa,” said Dent at the time of the openings. “Our retail locations allow fans to have an exceptional in-person experience with our product and we are proud to show off our industry-leading technological prowess in each of the three locations. Iowa sports fans are in for a great time.”

Now, they have a license to do all things relating to the market in the state with the addition of DFS. DraftKings can launch their daily fantasy sports platform at any time and it’s speculated that they will open it up to residents of Iowa by the weekend, as they have everything in place to do so. With NFL season still going on, there is no better time to allow bettors to have access to all of their wagering platforms from a strictly monetary standpoint.

News tags: DFS | FanDuel | Iowa | Iowa Racing Gaming Commission | Timothy Dent