Fubo Sportsbook arrived quietly about six weeks ago, but now the company wants to make its Iowa launch official. It has a partnership with Casino Queen Marquette to take sports bets in Iowa.
Parent company fuboTV Inc. wants the sportsbook to make its mark by blending the sports wagering platform with a live TV streaming experience. As part of the Watching Now concept, customers can view wagering content based on what they are streaming over fuboTV at the time.
Scott Butera, president of Fubo Gaming said:
“We’re thrilled to launch Fubo Sportsbook and begin to bring US sports fans a next-level interactive viewing and betting experience — one entirely tailored to the sports and entertainment they care about most. As the industry continues to expand, it is increasingly important to meet sports fans’ growing demand for personalized and immersive experiences. By integrating with fuboTV, we aim to make that a reality.”
Casino Queen began offering Fubo Sportsbook sign-ups on Thursday, Sept. 23. The launch meant all 19 Iowa casinos now have remote sports wagering agreements.
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David Gandler, co-founder and CEO of fuboTV called the Iowa launch a major step forward.
“This is a pivotal moment not just for fuboTV, but for the U.S. sports wagering and entertainment industries. It is the first time the two are truly coming together in one ecosystem. It’s important to realize that Fubo Sportsbook is not simply an add-on product to fuboTV, but a product synced with the live TV streaming experience.”
Vigtory acquisition brought Fubo to Iowa
Chicago-based Vigtory Sportsbook gained access to the Iowa market through a contract with the Casino Queen in November. Fubo Gaming then acquired Vigtory in January as a complement to its live-streaming fuboTV platform.
The sportsbook received permission to go live in Iowa at the end of August, according to a company statement. In the September announcement Butera said:
“We couldn’t be more excited to kick off this journey in Iowa. We thank the IRGC and Casino Queen for being the perfect partner in helping us cross the goal line and bring this sportsbook to the passionate sports fans of Iowa.”
Fubo became 14th sportsbook in Iowa
Sportsbook operators could offer regulated sports betting in Iowa with the passage of SF 617 in May 2019.
At first, sports bettors needed to visit one of Iowa’s brick-and-mortar casinos to activate their online accounts in order to enjoy mobile sports betting. That requirement came to an end at the start of 2021.
Casino Queen Marquette has room to grow in Iowa’s sports betting market, too. Each of Iowa’s 19 casinos can carry up to three distinct sportsbook brands, called “skins.”
The switch from Vigtory to Fubo Gaming at Casino Queen likely wasn’t difficult, based on IRGC administrator Brian Ohorilko’s past remarks:
“If the sportsbook does intend to launch in Iowa, that agreement would need formal commission approval. So, it would need to be submitted, it would need to be published for viewing on an agenda. The public can look at that, then it would be acted on at a subsequent meeting. There are other things, such as an ownership change, or maybe just even a change of key officers or rebranding. Those types of things, typically just require disclosure.”
The IRGC administrator said those disclosures can come in the form of a letter or an update of a sportsbook’s previously approved application.
