Iowa allows domestic online sports betting but not online casinos or poker. For the full gamut of legal online gambling, IA residents can use safe international betting sites.
Legal online gambling options in Iowa are limited to domestic online sports betting. However, online casinos and poker rooms are available only through international betting sites operating outside of US jurisdiction. These are legal for use by anyone in IA aged 18 and up.
To experience the full range of betting markets anytime, anyplace, we recommend utilizing these legal offshore online betting options. This page discusses the local options available, the state's viewpoint on online gambling, federal governance of the pastime, and the legitimate sites where you can play every market legally and safely.
IOWA GAMBLING LAWS
Domestic betting can be enjoyed via 18 commercial casinos, four tribal casinos, one riverboat casino, poker rooms, a state lottery, horse betting venues, and charitable gambling houses. IA does not permit online betting venues to exist and operate within its borders (except for sports betting sites) since the state has yet to pass any laws authorizing domestic iGaming or online poker operations.
Is Online Gambling Legal In Iowa?
Yes! While domestic options are currently limited to mobile sportsbooks operating in Iowa, the state has no laws barring online casino gambling, online poker action, online sports betting, or online horse racing betting that can be accessed via legitimate international sites like those listed here. Similarly, there are no federal laws preventing site access and real-money online play for 18 and up IA residents.
IA State Facts & Quick Jump Menu
State Facts
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State Motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.
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The state permits retail casino gambling but restricts access to players aged 21 and up. Some of the most popular of IA's two dozen or so casino destinations include the following:
Riverside Casino & Golf Resort
Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, and Hotel
Lakeside Hotel Casino
Diamond Jo Casino Dubuque
Harrah's Council Bluffs
Since these venues only allow players who are 21 to gamble, we recommend interested IA players who are 18-20 years of age (and older!) to access online real-money casino games through legitimate offshore online casinos that hold all required credentials to operate within their governing jurisdiction, which remain completely legal to use.
Is Online Casino Gambling Legal In Iowa?
There is no domestic online casino gambling in Iowa, and lawmakers don't seem very interested in establishing laws to allow local iGaming anytime soon.
That said, there are no laws barring IA residents from participating in legally sanctioned online casino gambling with overseas operators. Legitimate international online casinos are no illegal in the eyes of the state and the US federal government, and you only have to be 18 or older to sign up and play for real money.
Legal Iowa Online Casinos
The US legal online casinos listed below hold legitimate credentials for operating within the industry and have earned top marks for reliability and legitimacy. They also feature advanced security platforms (SSL, TLS) and deliver the highest quality casino gambling experiences to IA players aged 18 and over.
Yes! Locals now have domestic sports betting options at their fingertips. In August 2019, Iowa officially launched retail and online sports betting within state lines. IA was the first state to launch both markets on the same day, with sportsbooks going live on August 15, 2019.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Iowa?
It sure is. Online sports betting can be accessed via a number of domestic sportsbooks or offshore sportsbooks. State-regulated sports betting sites require bettors to be at least 21 years of age, while offshore sportsbooks accept registrations at just 18 years old.
Additionally, international sports betting sites tend to have much better odds, particularly on collegiate games featuring popular IA teams. If you want the most bang for your buck, offshore is the best way to wager.
Legal Iowa Online Sports Betting
The USA-friendly online sportsbooks featured below are all legally permitted to offer betting services to IA players aged 18+. These brands have been vetted by our team of analysts for legality, security, reliability, competitive odds, and legitimate licensing. You can bet on sports at any of these destinations without violating any state or federal laws, and timely payouts are always guaranteed.
Poker is permitted within state-licensed casino venues with commercial or Class III tribal gaming permissions. Players must be at least 21 years old to play poker within these venues.
Players from Iowa interested in poker gambling but who are between the ages of 18 and 20 – or simply want the convenience of online poker at any age – can legally play online via any of the most reputable, legal international poker sites listed here.
Is Online Poker Gambling Legal In Iowa?
Not domestically. While state-licensed online poker gambling is not yet authorized, there has been historic interest in expanding local gaming to include domestic online poker. It's likely that state-regulated online poker would still be limited to players who are 21 and over once offered, however.
Nonetheless, we recommend using legitimate online Iowa poker rooms legally operating internationally, since neither the state nor the federal government bars these highly regarded service providers from players aged 18 and up.
Legal Iowa Online Poker
The following list features online poker sites that are legitimately regulated in international jurisdictions and are legal for US and IA players. We only recommend brands that hold the highest ratings for security, reliability, licensing, longevity, fairness, software quality, and robust online poker bonus offers. Online poker sites that fail to meet our high standards are not included in this guide.
Fantasy betting is legal in most of the USA, including Iowa, and it allows fans to assemble their own sports teams using real players from various professional leagues. You can then enter contests based on the collective performances of the players from the teams you create.
DFS, or daily fantasy sports, is extremely popular, but it is fundamentally different from sports betting.
Iowa sports betting is legal gambling based on the outcomes of actual games, matches, races, and contests. Wager types include straight moneyline bets, spread bets, and totals bets (over/unders), while prop bets and live betting allow you to wager on player performances and specific plays or segments of each game.
Domestic sports betting and licensed offshore sports betting are legal for Iowa residents aged 21+ and 18+, respectively.
As long as you limit your offshore sports betting to respected and legitimate sportsbooks that are legally licensed and regulated, you will not be in violation of any Iowa state gambling laws (or federal gambling laws) and will not be arrested, cited, or fined.
As long as you restrict your Iowa online gambling to those destinations that have been fully vetted for legal compliance and fair play, you are guaranteed a safe and secure online gambling experience.
The sites you see listed here have all been evaluated by industry experts for legitimacy, quality, security, and reliability, among many other factors. Further, each operator is legally sanctioned and regulated.
Should you decide to visit random no-name gambling sites that aren't featured here, you could definitely be placing your personal and financial information at risk. But stick with the operators we cover in our guide, and it's money in the bank!
Iowa has simplified the legal minimum gambling age rules by making it consistent across the board.
Where other states allow a lower minimum age for some venues such as lotteries, bingo, and pari-mutuel wagering on horses, the Hawkeye State has decided to keep it clean and simple:
Players must be a minimum of 21 years old to participate in any type of domestic gambling entertainment in Iowa.
Of course, if you play with a legal overseas operator, you can enjoy every type of online gambling at just 18 and up.
This law made domestic sportsbooks legal in retail casino venues and over the Internet via mobile sports betting apps. Both of these markets launched simultaneously on August 15, 2019.
