bet365 Arrives in Iowa

This article is dated June 10, 2023, content related to promotions is no longer valid. Any promotion described below has expired.

When the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the nation's ban on sports betting, the right to regulate such activities was granted to the states. That has resulted in 37 states passing sports betting legislation with the details in each state differing from one state to the next.

Within the U.S. sports betting community, some states took a more aggressive a wide-open approach to the sports betting licensing process. Iowa would be one of those states. As the regulations are currently set, the state's licensing body can issue as many sports betting licenses as they deem proper. Iowa is proud to welcome the UK-based bet365 as the state's 19th legal mobile sports betting operator.

According to a bet365 spokesman in a press release:

“We are incredibly excited to welcome the Hawkeye State to bet365. From Sioux City to Marquette and everywhere in between, Iowans will now have access to our market-leading sportsbook product.”

About bet365

bet365 is no stranger to the international sports betting community. The UK-based online gambling operator was founded in 2000 and currently has approximately 3,500 employees worldwide. The company offers access to both online casino and sports betting activities.

The company formally entered the U.S. market in 2019 when it signed to partner with the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Since then, they have established operations in Colorado with MLB's Colorado Rockies, and in Ohio with MLB's Cleveland Guardians. Combined, bet365 is now licensed in five (5) states, including Iowa.

bet365 Faces a New Challenge

Prior to securing a sports betting license in Iowa, bet365 had successfully established a formula that worked well to introduce its mobile sports betting platform. As part of the process, they were able to partner with established sports concerns. This made it easier for the company to market its platform.

That strategy was not readily available in Iowa. Why? Iowa does not have any major professional sports franchises. They have no teams aligned with the NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL. Making matters even more challenging is the fact college teams are not permitted to get involved with any kind of online gambling operator. That's a shame because Iowa does have a robust college sports community thanks to the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones.

As an alternative, bet365's management decided to meet this challenge by partnering with the Casino Queen Marquette retail facility. According to the casino's General Manager Sean Batement (in an interview with the Gaming Today publication):

“We’re thrilled to work with bet365 to provide players with an in-demand and trusted source for safe online wagering. It’s an exciting time for our guests and passionate sports fans in Iowa, who will benefit from fantastic site features and attractive offers.”

To be clear, the competition in Iwa will be fierce. In April, the state recorded just over $172 million in sports betting handle with FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM scooping up $120 million of that amount. Of course, bet365 has experience waging battles for customers, something they have done in the UK for over two (2) decades.