US Iowa Online Casinos

The letter of the law in the State of Iowa makes it a crime to, "Make any bet," in any fashion that is not specifically authorized by the state. Since any form of gambling at an online casino would constitute a bet, playing at online casinos would automatically qualify as unlawful gambling under the code.

As you can see on our restrictions page, we will again mention here, the laws regarding unlawful gambling in the State of Iowa are perhaps more specific than any other state:

725.7 Gaming and betting -- penalty.

1. Except as permitted in chapters 99B [bingo] and 99D [racetracks], a person shall not do any of the following:

Participate in a game for any sum of money or other property of any value.

Make any bet, for a fee, directly or indirectly, give or accept anything of value to be wagered or to be transmitted or delivered for a wager to be placed within or without the state of Iowa.

For a fee, deliver anything of value that has been received outside the enclosure of a racetrack licensed under Chapter 99D to be placed as wagers in the pari-mutuel pool or other authorized systems of wagering.

Engage in bookmaking, transmitting monies or property for the purpose of gambling, engaging in bookmaking, and actually participating in gambling are all illegal, but the penalty depends on the sum of money being bet and how many prior offenses the individual in question has.

2. A person who violates this section is guilty of the following:
3. Illegal gaming in the fourth degree if the sum of money or value of other property involved does not exceed one hundred dollars. Illegal gaming in the fourth degree constitutes the following:

A serious misdemeanor for a first offense.

An aggravated misdemeanor for a second offense.

A class "D" felony for a third offense.

A class "C" felony for a fourth or subsequent offense.

1. Illegal gaming in the third degree if the sum of money or value of other property involved exceeds one hundred dollars but does not exceed five hundred dollars. Illegal gaming in the third degree constitutes the following:

An aggravated misdemeanor for a first offense.

A class "D" felony for a second offense.

A class "C" felony for a third or subsequent offense.

1. Illegal gaming in the second degree if the sum of money or value of other property involved exceeds five hundred dollars but does not exceed five thousand dollars. Illegal gaming in the second degree constitutes the following:

A class "D" felony for a first offense.

A class "C" felony for a second or subsequent offense.

1. Illegal gaming in the first degree if the sum of money or value of other property involved exceeds five thousand dollars. Illegal gaming in the first degree constitutes a class "C" felony.

Serious misdemeanors can result in up to one year in jail and up to $1,875 in fines.

Aggravated Misdemeanors can result in up to two years imprisonment and up to $6,250 in fines.

Class D Felonies can result in up to five years imprisonment and up to $7,500 in fines.

Class C felonies can result in up to ten years imprisonment and up to $10,000 in fines.

These laws are also pretty strictly enforced when it comes to reported illegal poker games and other forms of physical gambling, but we have never heard of any player being arrested for gambling online within the State of Iowa.

Given the draconian nature of their penalties, we definitely wouldn’t advise gambling online openly just to be on the safe side, but there is virtually no way anyone would face adverse consequences for doing it out of one’s own home. If anyone operated an online casino from within the state, they would undoubtedly face serious consequences, but any operators are out of the legal reach of the State of Iowa.

With that, the majority of online casinos that operate within the United States also operate in the State of Iowa, and you will find some of them on this page.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Iowa?

Even though Iowa made several attempts throughout the years to legalize online gambling, they all have failed, so at the moment of writing, online gambling is still off-limits. The state has been offering legal land-based gambling for over five decades but has shown no real interest in legalizing online gambling.

That being said, as you could learn from the introduction, the law is explicit and incredibly clear that any bet placed over the internet is prohibited. That’s why you are advised against gambling online in public places and keeping your online gambling activities to yourself. This, of course, implies that you still have access to online casinos based and licensed in other states and countries, many of which you will find here on this page.

Lottery

The Iowa Lottery went live in 1985 after legislation was signed into law in April. The lottery currently offers multiple draws and scratch cards and is also a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association.

That means that, in addition to the local draws, it offers the multi-state running Powerball, Mega Millions, and Lotto America, to name a few.

Land-Based and Tribal Casinos in Iowa

Even though gambling was prohibited for a long time in Iowa, the state legalized it in 1972. For over five decades, therefore, there have been lavish land-based casino establishments within its borders, operating thanks to the election in November 1972. Riverboat gambling was legalized in 1989, too, while slot devices at racetracks were allowed in 1994.

Today, you will find three riverboat casinos, four tribal casinos, one racino, and several land-based casinos. All four tribal casinos are operated by different tribes. The one in Onawa is run by the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, the one in Tama by the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, the one in Carter Lake by the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, and the one in Sloan is operated by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

In 2025, a 5-year moratorium passed in Iowa House which advanced in Senate, to pause the construction of new casinos in the state. Should it fail, the state of Iowa will get its 20^th casino.

Sweepstakes and Social Casinos Available in Iowa

While sweepstakes are theoretically legal, those who market or conduct them must disclose that entering is free of charge and no purchase of tickets is necessary and must disclose the odds of winning a prize. To win the prize, too, must be based on chance, not skill.

So, as long as you’ve found a social casino or sweepstakes casino that ticks these boxes, and allows you to play casino games without investing any of your money, you are good to go as you aren’t doing anything illegal.

Sports betting in Iowa

Iowa legalized sports betting in 2019. Both in-person and online betting are legal in the stake, including mobile app sportsbooks where you can bet on sports from any city within its borders.

Offshore betting sites are, of course, illegal and you are advised against joining them. To be able to access legit sports betting sites, must be 21 or older. Players from states without legal online options, like those from Omaha, frequently travel to Iowa to make sports bets, as the industry is flourishing in the state.

In fact, a record breaking $2.8 billion was spent by Iowans on sports betting just in 2024.

How to Find the Best Online Casino in Iowa

Since Iowa is nowhere near legalizing online gambling, as mentioned, you are limited to joining only online casinos licensed in a different jurisdiction. No online casinos licensed by the State of Iowa are at your disposal, so you must look for alternatives if you wish to engage in online casino gambling.

That being said, let’s see your options. You will surely come across all kinds of online casino sites as soon as you start looking for some, but as you can see here at LCB, we only list the best sites that cater to Iowan players. Feel free to check out our reviews, to find out relevant and important pieces of information on these casinos.

To give you a hint, we always review sites in the same manner that you will need to review them. You will need to look at their licenses, game selections, payment method options, and terms and conditions. Let’s go over each and every one of them.

A license is paramount since that would mean that the casino you joined has been inspected and is constantly monitored, forced to always adhere to the laws and rules in that particular jurisdiction. In other words, an online casino that holds a license from any well-respected regulator is a safe one to join.

Then we have the game selection. A premier online casino will offer games by giant software developers like Evolution, Games Global, NetEnt, and Yggdrasil, to name a few. This casino will give you the option to play progressive and classic slots, for instance, a variety of Live Dealers games, lotto, bingo, and poker variants like Texas Hold’em, among other game types. You need to have a decent choice of games delivered by popular developers, for sure.

A variety of payment methods is essential, too, as you will probably need to make cross-border transactions when depositing and withdrawing across sites that are not based in your state. That means that you must have the option to use your bank account or credit/debit card at least, in the lack of other options. But, any online casino that gives you more options than these two, is a casino worth investigating further. Top-notch sites will give you eWallets, cryptocurrencies, and other alternative solutions to choose from and use.

However, after you find a casino that meets all of these criteria, be sure to read its Terms and Conditions page carefully. You need to find transparent rules, fast payouts, and fair terms on this page; if anything is unclear or ambiguous, skip the site you're eyeing, as you don't want your online gambling experience to turn into a nightmare.

How to Sign Up and Play for Real Money in Iowa

Assuming you made the tough decision on the site to join, half of the job is done. Now all you have left is to go through a few simple steps to register an account with the casino. This process is fairly easy and intuitive, so just follow this step-by-step guide and you’ll have no issues whatsoever:

1. Load the casino’s official website and on the homepage, you should see a Register Now/Join Us/Sign-Up button.
2. Press the button and a registration form should appear. Here, you will have to enter some basic personal info like name, surname, email or phone number, or all of these.
3. Next, you will be asked to read the T&Cs and if you agree with them, confirm them.
4. With that, you’re ready for the next step.

Now that your player account is registered, you need to verify it. The Know Your Customer procedure, ergo, identify verification, is mandatory with most online casino sites, due to regulatory reasons, so you cannot skip it. Rare are No KYC sites, so be prepared to have an identification document with you upon registration or upon withdrawals, as that’s when you will need to verify your identity. Simply capture the document with your phone camera or scan it, to attach it where needed.

After you successfully prove your identity, the casino will inform you that you can now make a deposit. To do that, follow these simple steps:

1. Make sure you’re logged into your registered player account, and quickly find the Payment Methods/Cashier page.
2. Visit it and you’ll see a Deposits section. Head over to this section and check out the methods offered.
3. From the list of accepted deposit methods, select the one that will work best for you.
4. Set the amount you wish to transfer and the required payment method details.
5. Confirm your request and you will see the funds getting transferred to your balance in no time.

The deposit processing times depend on the method used, so make sure you choose a method that processes them instantly, to start playing right away!

What Payment Methods Can You Use to Deposit and Withdraw in Iowa?

We just mentioned that processing times depend on the method you choose to use. That's why it is important that not only do you have a variety of payment methods to use, but that you also have methods that process transactions quickly. Ideally, a payment method should process deposits instantly, but with withdrawals, due to their complexity, times will vary, so you have to stick with the methods that offer the fastest payouts.

Now, let’s see what to expect in terms of payment method choices. A great online casino will give you at least a handful of methods that you can use as an Iowan player. At least one bank-related method should be an option, like a bank wire transfer or an open-banking solution. At least two credit/debit cards are expected, so you should be able to use AmEx or MasterCard, for instance, as these are both globally available. And then, at least a few alternative options like eWallets or prepaid solutions should be at your disposal. The local method PayNearMe has gotten accepted across a great number of US-friendly sites, so you should check whether it is an option at the casino you’re eyeing, but so are PayPal and Play+, for instance.

What Casino Software Providers and Games Are Available in Iowa?

Even before you register an account with the casino you want to join, as mentioned, you should check its game selection. You have to be sure that you'll get world-class gaming content at your disposal. Historically, you only had access to a few developers and their games, since these were the only ones that dared to target US players. We're talking about providers like Dragon Gaming, Rival, RTG, and WGS, for instance, who used to hold a monopoly over the games offerings for US players.

However, you’re in luck, because today, so many leading developers have managed to get licensed in the US and provide their games to players from regulated US markets. We’re talking about the Live Dealers leader Evolution, the slots master NetEnt and other top-notch developers like Red Tiger and Blueprint, for instance. So, as long as you join an online casino based and licensed in a US state, you can expect to get games from these developers.

If you join a casino based and licensed in some European country, for instance, you will get even more options. Sites licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, for instance, are packed with all kinds of games delivered by the likes of Push Gaming, iSoftBet, Games Global, and Play'n GO, to mention a few. Therefore, explore your options, know which games to look for and from which developers, and go with the online casino that suits your preferences most.

What Casino Bonuses Can Players in Iowa Claim?

We will state right away that all online casinos, with maybe a few exceptions, have a Bonuses and Promotions page, filled with all kinds of offers that you can claim. But, before we get into the specifics about these bonuses, you should be warned right away that practically all bonuses and promotions come with strings attached, known as wagering or playthrough requirements. In addition to your deposit, once you claim an offer with wagering requirements, you will need to deposit more and use it to play the games on the site, so that you eventually become eligible to claim any winnings you made using the bonus. In most cases, 30x the bonus is what you get in terms of wagering requirements, but do look for offers with lower wagering requirements.

Now, about the offers you will come across, there will certainly be a Welcome Bonus, to entice you to join the casino. Consisting of a Deposit Match and Free Spins, this bonus is usually generous and attractive, and most players claim it. Second and Third Deposit Matches are frequent, too, as is the Cashback offer, which allows you to get back some of the money you lose wagering.

Weekly and monthly, as well as daily offers, are offered across many online casinos, as are different types of prize draws, tournaments, and VIP or Loyalty Programs. Whichever offer you decide to claim, however, do not forget to read its T&Cs section first. 

Responsible Gambling in Iowa

The state gives players with gambling problems various support options and tools. The Iowa Gaming Association offers several online resources and works with gambling treatment partners to support the gambling industry and players. Your Life Iowa, too, offers gambling screenings, information, guides, and an online chat service and helpline for those who need help.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, on the other hand, offers a self-exclusion service that anyone can use, should they find themselves struggling with their gambling habits. You can exclude yourself from all licensed offline and online sportsbooks, racetracks, and casinos. And then, of course, you have the National Council on Problem Gambling and its helpline 1-800-GAMBLER to get help in Iowa.

Further Reading

• Top Online Casinos for Iowa