Iowa Casinos Set To Offer Third Sports Betting Skin

• Iowa casinos will now be able to add a third “skin” to their sports betting services, effectively creating another brand or website platform for each of the state’s 19 casinos.
• Iowa has had online sports betting since August of 2019.

DES MOINES, Iowa – The sports betting world in Iowa is about to expand following the news that casinos in the state will be allowed to have third sports betting skin.

The state’s Administrative Rules Review Committee for their gaming industry approved the rules change this past Friday which will allow any of the state’s casinos to offer a third sports betting platform if they so desire.

Sports betting in Iowa has already taken a stronghold on the state, with 11 sports betting companies licensed already. Iowa has 19 casinos, and 18 of them already offer online sports betting.

Now, these casinos will be able to host a third website under their umbrella of licensing, bringing even more legal Iowa sports books into the fold.

“We have one operator that is already committed to that third skin,” said Brian Ohorilko, the administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. “But other than that, most of our other operators in Iowa just have one or two. We’ve actually seen most of the operators enter into agreements for their second individually-branded website.”

By allowing the third skin, it gives the casinos an additional form of revenue. The revenue will help cover the cost it takes to license a new sportsbook, which is currently $45,000 in the state of Iowa.

“One benefit is for our customers,” added Ohorilko. “The customers will have additional options. They’ll be able to find a product that fits them. Maybe it’s a company that offers certain types of wagers that they like, or maybe it’s a company that offers competitive odds. It could be a company that offers certain types of promotions or marketing that they also enjoy. It’ll be a very competitive market in Iowa.”

Iowa is just another state that has taken full advantage of the recent legal sports betting laws across the country. With many sports fans in the state, Iowa was able to bring in $149.5 million in sports betting handle in January alone.

It is likely that this trend of positive growth will only continue once casinos start taking advantage of this new rule by adding a third skin to their offerings.

News tags: Administrative Rules Review Committee | Brian Ohorilko | Iowa | Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission | sports betting