Iowa Bounces Back With Record-Setting Sports Betting Handle in January

Iowa sports betting experienced a turnaround from a December downturn and set record for handle, coming in with $303,327,688.

The December drop slowed what had been consistent growth, with the state getting record handles from September to November.

Why Iowa Sports Betting Handle was Higher

January’s figure was up 13.8% from the $266,518,049 in December and surpassed the November’s total by just about $16 million.

With the increased overall handle, the state also saw increases in mobile sports betting handle, revenue, and sports betting tax.

For mobile sports betting handle, January brought in $275,864,329, which was up 14.1% from the December number of $241,711,916. This was another record, surpassing the November’s $260,368,272.

As for revenue, there was not a double-digit increase, but it did climb from the $13,371,197 in December to $14,269,557 in January, a 6.7% increase.

Lastly, the sports betting tax saw an ever-so-slight increase — 0.7% — going from $957,637 to $964,525.

All signs point to the NFL betting as being a main source of the big numbers. The NFL regular season was winding down in December, but playoffs kicked in once we got to January.

There are 19 Iowa casinos and all of them allow sports bets and online sports betting.

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Iowa Sports Betting Revenue & Handle, January 2022 vs. December 2021

	Total Handle	Mobile Handle	Revenue
January	$303.328M	$275.864M	$14.270M
December	$266.518M	$241.712M	$13.371M
Change	Up 13.8%	Up 14.1%	Up 6.7%

Caesars Posts Highest Handle

With the help of some well-known brands, Iowa was able to post its best handle month of all time.

Caesars Sportsbook stood out as far and away from the best source for online sports wagering in Iowa for January, accumulating $112,686,043 in mobile sports betting handle.

This handle accounted for 40.8% of the total mobile sports betting handle.

Here is a complete list of the Top 5:

• Caesars: $112,686,043
• DraftKings: $68,927,964
• FanDuel: $44,115,796
• BetMGM: $21,747,810
• Barstool: $9,177,372

DRF Sportsbook Has Landed In Iowa

As 2021 came to a close, we saw new online sportsbooks such as Circa, Barstool, and Fubo launch. We also learned that Tipico Sportsbook would be coming to Iowa in that same year, though that has yet to happen.

However, in 2022, we got our first announcement of a new online sportsbook coming to the state — DRF Bets, also known as Daily Racing Form Sportsbook.

Announced in late-January 2022, DRF announced it was coming and officially launched in Iowa, making it the first state in which it will be operating.

DRF was previously most known for being a provider of premium data and coverage for horse racing but is now involved in sports betting.

“The launch of our first sportsbook is a significant event for Affinity Interactive and DRF as we continue our ambitious plans to deliver a world-class, digital sports betting product to sports fans across the U.S.," Itay Fisher, Chief Digital Officer at Affinity Interactive said in a media release. "The sportsbook website and app launch represent our third major sports product rollout in recent months, and further illustrates our ambition and commitment to providing best-in-class sports betting products for customers.

“This is another important step as we continue to deliver on our pipeline of innovative offerings that will position us to grow our presence nationwide and take bets in every state.”

Hopefully, Iowa online casinos will be as popular as sportsbooks once they become legal in the state. Who knows when that will happen though. Until it does, bettors will enjoy all the joys of betting on sports.