Iowa is no longer an outlier in the daily fantasy sports landscape. After receiving approval from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, FanDuel DFS is ready to accept paid entries in the Hawkeye State.
Combined with the FanDuel Sportsbook at the Diamond Jo Worth Casino in Northwood, the company’s footprint in the state is growing. The next logical step points to online sports betting.
Details on the entry of FanDuel DFS into Iowa
As of Nov. 19, FanDuel’s daily fantasy sports platform was open to Iowa residents and visitors. Just like with sports betting, two key components are an account with FanDuel and funds for a deposit.
Iowa sports fans now have a choice when it comes to playing DFS. DraftKings’ DFS product is also live in the Hawkeye State.
Big Cyclone and Hawkeye fans won’t be able to stack their favorite team’s basketball and football players in their lineups, however. Iowa law forbids DFS operators from including college players in their games.
To participate in DFS in Iowa, players must be at least 21 years of age and physically located within the state’s borders. There is a wide array of options for funding players’ accounts like bank transfers, debit cards and PayPal.
FanDuel’s DFS product is available via desktop and mobile websites. There are also apps for Android and iOS devices.
New accounts are eligible for first-time bonuses, subject to availability at the time of registration. FanDuel also offers a points-based rewards system to DFS players.
A new way to accumulate those points could be on the horizon. This points to bigger things in the future for FanDuel as far as Iowa goes.
DFS is merely the overture before the curtain rises
Although FanDuel hasn’t confirmed any plans to launch a mobile component for its Iowa sportsbook, that seems inevitable. It’s more a matter of when than if.
Northwood is a town of about 2,000 people. It sits about an hour and 45 minutes north of Ames and over three hours northwest of Iowa City. Those are the most important sports hubs in the state, where Iowa State University and the University of Iowa are located.
That information is pertinent right now because Iowa law requires bettors to register in person before placing bets online until New Year’s Day 2021. At that time, Iowa residents and visitors will be able to complete the entire process over the internet.
It’s possible that FanDuel could wait to launch its mobile sports betting platform until then. That would maximize the number of new customers for the brand, as most Iowans would have to drive to Northwood to register to use FanDuel’s mobile sportsbook if it was live now.
Despite that obstacle, FanDuel’s DFS product could act as a proof of concept enticing the company to invest in the market. If many Iowans play often, FanDuel might decide the market is a viable one for a broader sports betting product.
Regardless of when Iowans can access an online FanDuel sportsbook, the option to play DFS with the company is now available. More options for DFS players should create an even better experience.
