If you’ve been uncertain whether online sportsbook brands would rush to go live in Iowa once the state’s in-person registration requirement expires, doubt no more. At least one such operator, BetRivers Sportsbook Iowa, plans to go live in the Hawkeye State at first crack.
BetRivers is officially accepting wagers online in IA on Friday, Jan. 1, although the site and app have already been in a lengthy “soft launch” period.
Details on the new BetRivers Sportsbook Iowa
Thus far, BetRivers is the first operator “new” to Iowa in 2021. Friday is a significant day for the state as far as sports betting goes, because it’s the first day when Iowans can register new accounts for online sportsbooks completely over the Internet.
Through Thursday, the state requires applicants to visit a retail sportsbook inside a casino tied to the online sports betting app of the bettor’s choice to complete account registrations. On Friday, that will be a thing of the past.
BetRivers entered the Hawkeye State by securing an online skin from the Wild Rose Casinos. While the retail books at both the Clinton and Jefferson properties bear DraftKings branding, casino patrons can still interact with BetRivers there in one important way.
Bettors can deposit into and withdraw funds from their BetRivers account at either facility. For those who prefer to do all of that from their couches, however, it will be easy to get rolling on Friday.
What other brands might be coming to Iowa in 2021?
So far, other online sportsbooks to either announce access deals or submit their credentials for approval to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission include:
- 888 Sportsbook
- Bally’s
- Vigtory
It’s uncertain when any of those brands will go live. Aside from that, the race to the top in terms of market share will change lanes completely on Friday.
William Hill has so far dominated online market share in IA for two reasons. First, it has had the greatest number of retail books in the state, making account registration possible for the greatest number of Iowans.
Second, it has a retail presence in most of the state’s largest population centers, except for the Iowa City area. Now, that retail presence won’t be as much of a key to winning the market.
What could soon become vastly more important is advertising. Other current operators like DraftKings, FanDuel and PointsBet could ramp up their spending in IA now once people can register for their books from anywhere.
BetRivers could follow up its launch with some tempting promos soon. With that launch, a new day will dawn for online sports betting in Iowa.
