Iowa casinos are interested in adding sports betting, if it gets legalised

The executive director of the local gaming association said that casinos would aim to offer sports betting if it gets legalised.

Wes Ehrecke, executive director of the Iowa Gaming Association, said that if sports betting gets legalised, casinos in Iowa would be interested in the business. The official had said after New Jersey’s oral hearings that a lot of people were interested in playing sports betting in a regulated environment.

“In the past 25 years, only one state has been allowed to have sports betting and that’s been Nevada and New Jersey challenged the constitutionality of that and the Supreme Court heard arguments last Monday. There’s a lot of people thinking they’re going to rule in favor of New Jersey and, if they do, that would allow all states to opt in,” said Ehrecke.

The casino industry in the state is set to propose a legislation in 2018 that would legalise sports betting at the 19 state-licensed casinos. “Like other gambling games, it would allow people to bet on sports within our casinos, regulated by our (Iowa) Racing and Gaming Commission,” he added.

Moreover, the Republican candidate for governor in Iowa, Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett, said that the state can collect millions in new taxes for the health system if it allows sports betting. “By most of the legal analysis…it looks like the court will rule in favor of states, and that will present an option or an opportunity for the State of Iowa to get into sports betting.”

Corbett said that he would be in favor of the Iowa Lottery to manage bets on professional baseball, football, basketball games as well as college football and basketball, but that he would be okay if casinos offer those services as well. “We’re going to ask people over the next several weeks as they’re checking the bowl scores or their favorite sports team to take the survey,” Corbett said. “The first question in the survey is: Should Iowa legalize sports betting?”

New Jersey’s government is trying to withdraw the federal injunction that eliminates the possibility of legislating sports betting industry. The administration took the case to dismiss the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) to the Supreme Court, which may soon end the legal battle by favoring the statements’ of the national professional sports leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).