Russ Mitchell, Author at Play Iowa

Iowa Legislature Ends Year; Gambling Changes Head To Governor’s Desk

It looks like Iowa gambling changes will reach the governor’s desk after all. The Iowa House and Iowa Senate agreed to amendments and passed the state’s all-in-one gambling bill on Monday. The chambers gaveled out the 2022 legislative session just after midnight on Wednesday. The Iowa Senate passed HF 2497 on a 35-11 vote. Iowa […]

Posted on: May 25, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Governor Could Shelve Cedar Rapids Casino Bid Until 2024

House File 2497 is on its way to Gov. Kim Reynold’s desk. If she adds her signature, Linn County residents won’t see a Cedar Rapids casino anytime soon. HF 2497 calls for a two-year moratorium on new casino licenses. That means all applications could be on hold until at least July 1, 2024. State senators […]

Posted on: May 24, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Smarkets, Affinity To Make Iowa Third State For SBK Sportsbook Launch

Look for Lakeside Hotel Casino in Osceola to add another sportsbook to its offerings soon. SBK Sportsbook on Thursday confirmed plans to make Iowa its third US market. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) approved the casino-sportsbook contract at its March 3 meeting in Osceola. Thursday’s joint announcement came from Affinity Interactive, which operates […]

Posted on: May 20, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

FanDuel Iowa Sets Cy-Hawk 2022 Game Odds And More

The college game has spring football, so why not spring Cy-Hawk 2022 game football bets as well? FanDuel Sportsbook in Iowa pinged PlayIA with some early lines for more than 80 college football games this fall. The potential bets cover 13 weeks of the college football season. Let’s get right to the bread-and-butter. For now, […]

Posted on: May 16, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

What Are Iowa Neighbors Up To? A State-By-State Gambling Update

Time for a gambling update as legislative sessions around the country come to a close. Let's talk a look at Iowa's neighboring states.

Posted on: May 16, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Super Bowl Odds Won’t Change Much After The 2022 NFL Schedule Release. Here’s Why.

The 2022 NFL schedule release will cause a social media ripple at 7 p.m. Thursday and Iowa’s NFL fans can even toggle between the two-hour reveal special on ESPN2 or three hours of analysis on NFL Network/FS1. Who got the primetime games? When does the bye week fall? Is the schedule frontloaded or backloaded? Which […]

Posted on: May 11, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Iowa Greyhound Park Closes Sunday; State’s Dog Days Are Over

Folks behind races at Iowa Greyhound Park knew it for years. Their kennels would go empty sooner rather than later. There are only four days of sprinting dogs and betting slips left in Dubuque. Post times for the last races in Iowa greyhound history are: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 1 p.m. Sunday Each […]

Posted on: May 10, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

BlueBet Will Rebrand as ClutchBet Sportsbook When It Debuts In Iowa

An established Australian sportsbook will arrive in Iowa “in the coming weeks.” Look for the name ClutchBet Sportsbook when it makes its US debut. BlueBet Holdings is the company behind the planned ClutchBet Sportsbook Iowa launch. In Australia, they go with the “blue” in BlueBet Sportsbook to reflect “true blue” reliability. They don’t want the […]

Posted on: April 28, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

The 2022 NFL Draft Is Here, But Iowa Bets Are Stuck In The Legislative Green Room

The 2022 NFL Draft opens Thursday night and each public Division I university in Iowa has a player who could hear their name called in the first round. But don’t bet on it — literally. It’s not a legal wager in the state of Iowa. And, prospects don’t look good for the 2023 NFL Draft […]

Posted on: April 27, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Iowa Man Lands A $1 Million Mega Millions Prize

Iowa has another big lotto winner, but the West Burlington man who won the $1 million Mega Millions prize thinks the windfall almost didn’t happen. Josh Buster asked for five easy-pick plays for the April 14 Mega Millions drawing, but the clerk at the MK Mini Mart in his hometown initially printed out just one […]

Posted on: April 21, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell