New Iowa Sportsbooks Coming To Hard Rock Sioux City And Other Local Casinos

• Sports betting In Iowa was officially signed into law on May 13, 2019, when Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds approved IA SF 617.
• The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is in charge of establishing rules for Iowa sportsbooks to follow as well as approve any casino renovations.
• The renovations at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City are expected to take eight weeks to complete.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – It’s been almost one month since the Iowa sports betting bill IA SF 617 was signed into law by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and casinos are now lining up to offer the activity.

Last Friday, both the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City and Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort filed paperwork with Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) to begin construction for an on-site retail sportsbook.

According to the documents submitted to the IRGC, The Sioux City Hard Rock Casino plans to convert it’s high-stakes betting and wine bar area into a sports wagering hub. Grand Falls Casino, who was already planning an $8 million hotel expansion, will also use the new space for a sportsbook.

Detailed plans for the casino’s renovations will be presented to the IRGC later this week in Northwood, IA.

As of now, the plans for Hard Rock Casino in Sioux City call for $895K worth of construction and is expected to take eight weeks to complete. The remolding project will cover a total of 400 square feet and will feature four sports betting windows for patrons to place their wagers.

SCE Partners, the parent company of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City, has not yet announced which sports betting vendor they will use for their retail sportsbook.

Grand Falls Casino is also looking to begin renovations as soon as possible. The current show lounge will be converted into a sports wagering parlor and live entertainers will instead perform in a new area on the casino floor. The hotel expansion would add 60 new rooms and construction is expected to begin in August.

Elite Casino Resorts LLC, owner of Grand Falls, plans to use Betworks LLC as their retail sports betting provider. They also plan to use Betworks LLC for their other two Iowa properties including Rhythm City Casino Resort and Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.

But, before any legal sports betting action can take place, the IRGC will have to approve both the remolding plans of the gaming facilities as well as authorize any sports gambling vendor partnerships.

The IRGC will also have to establish clear rules for how sports betting in Iowa will be conducted. Those official regulations are expected to be announced in either July or August.

According to IA SF 617, Iowa residents will have the ability to place wagers on both professional and collegiate sports. However, in-game player prop bets on current collegiate athletes from Iowa is prohibited.

Both locations will be serving the public, meaning sports bettors from neighboring states may visit to place their wagers. Grand Falls Casino is located about 20 minutes from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is located about an hour and a half from Omaha, Nebraska.

News tags: Betworks | Grand Falls Casino & Gold Resort | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City | IA SF 617 | Iowa | Rhythm City Casino Resort | Riverside Casino & Golf Resort | sportsbooks