A company known for horseracing expertise just made Iowa its first state for an online sportsbook. DRF Sportsbook went live Tuesday, Jan. 25, through an agreement with Lakeside Casino and Resort in Osceola. The south-central Iowa casino already has the new sportsbook featured prominently on its website.
Lakeside Casino also carries Caesars Sportsbook in Iowa. The state’s 19 casinos can carry up to three different sports-betting brands.
Affinity Interactive operates both Lakeside Casino and DRF Sportsbook. Chairman James Zenni called Iowa “a natural choice for our first sportsbook offering” because of the relationship. He also said DRF Sportsbook is focused on being the “go-to sports-betting destination.”
Sportsbook’s brand has a long history
Sports betting is just 3 1/2-years old in Iowa, but DRF’s history goes back much farther than that. DRF stands for Daily Racing Form and the original company considers itself a “dominant daily publication in the horse racing industry since 1894.”
The historic tip sheet did some online groundwork when it launched the DRF Bets website in September. The subscription service gave customers sports betting trends beyond its horse-based advice. Affinity Interactive Chief Digital Officer Itay Fisher said:
“We continue our ambitious plans to deliver a world-class, digital sports betting product to sports fans across the US. The sportsbook website and app launch represent our third major sports product rollout in recent months.”
Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission administrator Brian Ohorilko previously told PlayIA he was familiar with the DRF print sheet from decades ago:
“When I worked in the horse racing industry, horse players would line up waiting for the Daily Racing Form publication with all of the data to arrive. Then, they would take that, go, and use that to make their picks. So, that’s really what what they are known for.”
What to look for at DRF Sportsbook
DRF Sportsbook is the 18th sportsbook to go live in Iowa.
It has a multi-year agreement with Kambi Group, so Iowa betting customers who try DRF Sportsbook will often notice matching odds at Unibet Sportsbook, BetRivers Sportsbook and Barstool Sportsbook in Iowa. DRF is offering customers a bonus $500 bet offer to introduce itself to the state.
The sign-up is comparable to other registration processes. Its new customers will need to furnish an email and personal information including a social security number to verify eligibility.
DRF Sportsbook will also ask for a photo ID, bank statement, utility bill or telephone bill as proof of address. That request may need an adjustment, however, because customers with an out-of-state address are still allowed to place a sports bet on a trip to Iowa.
Once the sign-up is done, the new company will offer all approved US and international sports within Iowa guidelines with odds for:
- moneyline
- points spread
- over/under
- parlays
- live or in-game betting.
The IRGC reviewed the Sports Information Group (SIG) contract with Lakeside Hotel Casino in June. That same month, Affinity Gaming merged with SIG to create DRF Sportbook’s parent company, Affinity Interactive.
