Iowa Online Casinos 2024 – A Guide to Gambling in Iowa

Iowa (IA) online casinos are not regulated or legislated for in the state, meaning that it is not allowed for Iowa-based players to play USA online casino games like online slots, online roulette, online blackjack, joker poker, baccarat online and the likes. Even so, Iowa has some very progressive laws when it comes to land-based gambling and things are slowly but surely changing for online gambling, too.

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The Legality Of Land-Based Casinos & Online Casinos In Iowa

The state of Iowa has some very different views on land-based and online gambling – something which is made very clear by the over 20 land-based casinos and the fact that playing at Iowa online casino is illegal. At the time of writing, while gambling in real life is perfectly legal for those aged 21 and over (given they are within the premises of one of the state-approved casinos or the ones on tribal land), playing online is banned. The state’s stance on online gambling Iowa seems to be slowly shifting, though, as in 2019 it legalized sports betting and daily fantasy sport. Even so, it will take time for the other forms of online gambling Iowa to be legalized and there is no definite date in sight of when the ban of playing at Iowa online casino will be lifted (if ever). Below we look at the laws and regulations governing land-based and online gambling Iowa in more detail.

Land-Based Gambling In Iowa Today

While online gambling Iowa is almost entirely banned, the state actually has one of the most progressive laws for land-based gambling in the whole Midwest! And it’s no accident, either, as the citizens are often asked to make their voice heard through referenda. Today, the Hawkeye State is home to over 20 brick-and-mortar casinos that are operational and which accept players aged 21 and over. These are distributed fairly evenly across the state, meaning you’re never too far away from a poker room or roulette wheel. Be aware, though, that not all casinos offer all the casino games you may expect: there are currently just nine places that offer the service of live poker rooms, the list for which includes the Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood and the Prarie Meadows in Altoona. Iowa is also home to a number of casinos based on tribal land, which are perfectly legal thanks to The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, a law that gave tribes the right to operate casinos on their land. There is also the 17,514-square-foot riverboat casino, the Casino Queen Marquette, which comes complete with 566 slot machines and eight table games. Since 1983, the state of Iowa also has also allowed pari-mutuel wagering on dog and horse racing to take place. While, in 1989, it was made legal for citizens to practice simulcast wagering on horse races taking place outside of the state. All this is complimented by a State Lottery that is affiliated with Mega Millions and Powerball, charitable gambling, and bingo. So, all in all, things are looking up for the Hawkeye State and citizens have a myriad of options when it comes to play real money in Iowa.

Top Land-Based Casinos in Iowa

Casino	Location	Size
Riverside Casino & Golf Resort	Riverside	Craps, Roulette, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Tri Lux Blackjack, Blackjack, Ultimate Taxes Hold’em, Free Bet Blackjack with Pot of Gold, Mississippi Stud, EZ Baccarat, Poker, Electronic Craps, Electronic Roulette, Slots, Video Poker.
Prarie Meadows Casino and Hotel	Altoona	Slots, 21 3 Extreme Blackjack, Blackjack, Craps, DJ Wild Poker, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Free Bet Blackjack, High Card Flush, Mississippi Stud, Roulette, Siamese Baccarat, Progressive Pai Gow, Three-Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
Rhythm City Casino Resort	Davenport	Slots, Video Poker, Craps, Roulette, Pai Gow Poker Face Up, Three-Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Mississippi Stud, Tri Lux Blackjack, Blackjack, High Card Flush, Electronic Roulette, Electronic Blackjack, Criss Cross Poker, Six Wheel, Interblock’s Universal Cabinets featuring Electronic Craps, Electronic Roulette and Electronic Blackjack.
Diamond Jo Casino	Worth, Northwood	Slots, Poker, Craps, Blackjack, more Table Games.
Lakeside Hotel & Casino	Osceola	Slots, Video Poker, Blackjack, Poker, Craps, Three-Card Poker, Keno.

Online Gambling Iowa Laws

Iowa Laws for online gambling – including gambling at Iowa online casinos – are much more stringent than they are for land-based gambling. In fact, playing casino games online, such as poker, slots, blackjack and roulette, is banned. The current law is all-encompassing and does not really make a distinction between the operators or the players. As things stand, Iowa law states that (Section 725.1(1)):

A person shall not do any of the following:

• Participate in a game for any sum of money or other property of any value.
• Make any bet.
• For a fee, directly or indirectly, give or accept anything of value to be wagered or to be transmitted or delivered for a wager to be placed within or without the state of Iowa.

Moreover, citizens of the state cannot even allow others to play for money from their home, either (Section 725.5):

Any person who keeps a house, shop, or place resorted to for the purpose of gambling, or permits any person in any house, shop, or other place under the person’s control or care to conduct bookmaking or to play at cards, dice, faro, roulette, equality, punchboard, slot machine or other game for money or other thing, commits a serious misdemeanor.

As such, our advice is to remain well within the law and not to hedge your bets on playing online in the state of Iowa thinking that you may not be caught. Having said all this, it’s not all doom and gloom in the Hawkeye State when it comes to gambling online as things have slowly started to shift since 2019. Today, citizens of Iowa looking to gamble online can play at one of the six retail sportsbooks that operate within the state. Nevertheless, players should be aware that according to Iowa law, they must download a specific app and head to a land-based affiliate of the site in order to finalise their registration and make their first deposit. From then on, however, those who are approved can play online with not much to worry about apart from what they should bet on and not exceeding their budgets. The 2019 sports betting bill that legalized sportsbooks mentioned above also allows daily fantasy sports, with the sites looking to offer Iowa citizens the service now being approved and regulated by the state. This is a huge deal, particularly as until last year, two of the USA’s biggest daily fantasy sports sites – DraftKings and FanDuel – didn’t even accept players from the Hawkeye State. Slowly but surely, things seem to be changing when it comes to online gambling in Iowa. At the time of writing, however, gambling at Iowa online casino is illegal… But who knows what may happen in the months and years to come?

Gambling Laws Governing Offshore Casinos & What It Means For Iowa Players

Due to the strict online gambling Iowa laws, some players may choose to bypass the law and play at offshore online casinos – i.e. online casinos that are registered in offshore jurisdictions. Indeed, some websites may also say that this is not illegal in the Hawkeye State. Nevertheless, the law related to gambling in the state of Iowa clearly expresses that gambling is not permitted unless you’re over 21 years of age and at one of the state-approved casinos, or in a handful of other situations, such as sports betting or daily fantasy sports online or simulcast wagering on horse races, among others. Online poker and other casino games are, so far, deemed as ‘banned’ and therefore even playing these at online offshore casinos while in Iowa can be considered illegal. But there is more Iowa players should remember when thinking of taking the extra risk. On top of potentially getting yourself in trouble with the law, playing at online offshore casinos means that you get absolutely no protection from the state. You, your money, and your data may not necessarily be safe, your rights could be breached, and there would be very little you could do to seek justice or compensation. As such, we advise Iowa-based players not to play at any online offshore casinos and to always follow the law of the state of Iowa.

Online Casino Games For Iowa

Because the state of Iowa doesn’t allow for casino games to be played online – a ban that includes poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, slots and many other favorites – there are no games that can be played at Iowa online casino. Nevertheless, anyone looking to play these can head to one of the over 20 land-based casinos in the state. The ban on online gambling Iowa is not a blanket one, however. In fact, since 2019, Iowa-based players can dabble in sports betting and daily fantasy sports. There are numerous websites that offer this service.

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Payment Options At Iowa Online Casinos

Due to Iowa online casinos being considered illegal by the Hawkeye State, we have no data on the preferred methods of payment of Iowa-based players. Nevertheless, if you are out of the state and in a jurisdiction that allows you to play casino games online legally, then your best bet is to check the terms and conditions of the website of the online casino of your choice and on our casino reviews page to check what payment methods and currencies are accepted there.

Online Casinos Iowa FAQs

Play At A Real Money Iowa Casino & Walk Away With A Large Sum!

We hope this has answered any questions you may have had regarding Iowa online casinos and general gambling in Iowa. As always, we urge you to always stay within the parameters of the law of the jurisdiction you are in, and to never wager any more money than you can afford to lose. Our US gambling guide can provide you with more information if you are from other US states.