Finally, sports fans in the Hawkeye State will be able to assemble their dream teams right here in Iowa.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission recently authorized DraftKings, the Boston-based fantasy sports contest provider, to execute daily fantasy sports contests right here in the Hawkeye State.
Tim Dent, chief compliance officer for DraftKings stated, “We’re happy to announce that we’ve received our Iowa license to offer daily fantasy sports. We worked closely with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on the process. We look forward to providing Iowa sports fans with our industry-leading fantasy sports games very soon.”
DraftKings has already begun to offer paid-entry fantasy sports to Hawkeye fans, with more to come.
What we cover
The long and winding road to Hawkeye Daily Fantasy Sports
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a sports betting bill into law in May 2019. Included in the bill was the approval and regulation of daily fantasy sports games.
Most of the twenty-one casinos in Iowa had already launched brick-and-mortar sportsbooks before the start of the most recent NFL season. Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission administrator Brian Ohorilko expected Daily Fantasy Sports websites to launch by that time as well. However, there were issues with certifying the technology involved in fantasy play. An independent testing lab is necessary, and deciding on the process by which changes in technology should be reported to the state regulator also caused significant delays.
Ahead of the eighth week of the NFL season, DraftKings finally made it through the state’s regulatory maze. Soon FanDuel, another national provider of fantasy sports games, will also be on the field here in the Hawkeye State.
“DraftKings has achieved compliance with all of the pre-launch regulations and state laws,” Ohorilko said. “however, FanDuel is still working on its compliance. We are continuing to work very closely with FanDuel and we hope to get a second license issued to FanDuel sometime in the very near future.”
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$500
Welcome Package
$500
Welcome Package
What DraftKings Offers
DraftKings offer 1-day and 1-week fantasy sports contests. As a user, you can draft a new fantasy lineup with every new contest. Beginner contests allow you to play your first 50 games against other beginners. From there, you can move up to a 50/50 contest; this means if your lineup finishes in the top 50% of the field you’ll win cash, no matter how many entries there are. DraftKings also offers beginner-exclusive 50/50s where you can play with other beginners.
You can also invite your friends to form a private fantasy sports league. You can also go into a Head to Head contest with wagers of $1, $5, $10, or more. Finally, the DraftKings website offers the DK Playbook, which offers strategy and research tools to hone your game.
DraftKings will soon expand their fantasy sports nationally
Iowa is proud to be the 21st state to regulate Daily Fantasy Sports. Previously this year, Alabama also legalized Daily Fantasy Sports. With Iowa now legalized and in the game, the last remaining states to get onboard with Fantasy Sports are Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, Louisiana, and Washington.
DraftKings currently has retail sportsbooks at the Wild Rose Casino located in Clinton, Jefferson, and Emmetsburg. DraftKings is also launching a mobile sports betting app soon in Iowa.
Iowa is home to four tribal casinos, seventeen commercial casinos, and two racinos. During Iowa’s the 2019 fiscal year, the state’s racetracks and casinos generated more than $321 million in tax revenue. Furthermore, gross gaming revenue from the commercial gaming operations totaled nearly $1.5 billion. The addition of legalized Daily Fantasy Sports will only add to the tax base of the state, benefiting everyone in Iowa. This decision follows a trend to legalize sports betting – and, in particular, online betting, across the US. We’re seeing the Iowa decision as an excellent step in the right direction.
