Sports bettors in southeastern Iowa are catching up with the times.
Along with the in-person registration requirement expiring at the end of the year, Iowa bettors have access to the PointsBet Sportsbook app.
Users on Android and Apple devices can enjoy all the user-friendly features of PointsBet. For the sportsbook, the question becomes whether this development will help expand market share in Iowa.
Details on new PointsBet Iowa app for sports betting
Other mobile sports bettors in IA should adapt quite quickly to the PointsBet app. The function and layout of the app are quite similar to DraftKings and FanDuel apps. However, there are some things you should know.
If you’re new to PointsBet, you have to visit the retail sportsbook at Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington to complete your registration. That mandate expires on Jan. 1, 2021, however.
If you plan to make the trip, Saturday, Nov. 7, would be a good time. The retail book is hosting a special event to celebrate the app launch during the Iowa Hawkeyes football game.
If you’re already a PointsBet customer and want to use the app on your mobile device, we walk you through how to download and register.
For PointsBet, this puts it on equal footing with other sportsbook operators in the state. Will that increase PointsBet’s market share in the state?
PointsBet’s quest to dominate the Hawkeye State
In terms of share of handle in IA, PointsBet hasn’t been the top dog in either online or overall numbers. For example, PointsBet accounted for just 2.7% of online and 2.3% of total handle in September for Iowa.
The app could help grow that market share. However, the bigger boost for PointsBet could happen when the state’s face-to-face registration mandate expires.
Burlington ranks as the 20th-most populous city in the state. Its proximity to the Mississippi River and, therefore, the Illinois border was once a strength for it in this industry, as that set up the potential for IL bettors to wager there.
However, legal sportsbooks are now live in the Prairie State and the immediate area across the river was sparsely populated as well. Burlington’s proximity to major population centers in IA isn’t that great either.
When PointsBet’s customer base is no longer limited to those living in the immediate Burlington area and those willing to make the trip, the potential for growth skyrockets. The app could help in that regard.
