Sports Betting Handle and Revenue in Iowa Decline During December

Following three straight months of new handle records, top Iowa sportsbooks saw a slight decrease in wagering activity for December.

The state recorded $266.5 million in sports wagering handle last month, down 7.2% from November’s $287.2 million but up 154.3% from December 2020’s $104.8 million.

Iowa’s December mobile sports betting handle was $241.7 million, a decrease of 7.2% from November’s $260.4 million but 209.6% higher than December 2020’s $78.1 million.

Sports betting revenue in Iowa was $13.4 million for December, down 32.3% from November’s $19.7 million and 77.4% higher than December 2020’s $7.5 million.

State taxes for sports betting sites in December were $957,637, a decrease of 53.6% from November’s $2.1 million and 88.2% more than December 2020’s $508,748.

All 19 casinos in Iowa allow mobile betting.

Isle Casino Hotel Highest Handle

Isle Casino Hotel in Waterloo recorded the highest December handle of the Iowa casinos, taking in a total of $46.9 million in bets. Caesars Sportsbook is partnered with Isle Casino.

Diamond Jo in Dubuque had the second-highest handle at $36.9 million, according to figures from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The casino is partnered with FanDuel Sportsbook.

Wild Rose in Jefferson ($31.6 million), Wild Rose in Clinton ($29 million) and Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino ($27.8 million) rounded out the top five in overall handle. Wild Rose facilities in Iowa are partnered with DraftKings Sportsbook, while Prairie Meadows is a partner of Caesars.

Iowa Sports Betting Revenue & Handle, December vs. November

New Sportsbooks Come to Iowa in 2021

Iowa saw numerous new betting sites enter the market in 2021. The state had Circa Sportsbook, Barstool Sportsbook and Fubo Sportsbook launch near the end of the year.

Tipico Sportsbook also announced its intentions to go live in Iowa, but the sportsbook has yet to launch in the state. Tipico reached a 10-year agreement with Caesars and will be partnered with the Isle Casino facilities.

”We are excited to announce Tipico’s multi-state market access partnership with Caesars Entertainment, which marks an important step as we continue to expand our US footprint,” Adrian Vella, chief executive of Tipico US, said in a media release. “We look forward to establishing our brand presence in the midwest, and introducing our highly scalable, proprietary multi-state sports betting experience to players in Iowa.”