Who should use our guide to Iowa online gambling sites? - All IO residents
The short answer to this question is almost always going to be ‘yes’, unless you’ve managed to stumble across our content despite being 0% interested in online gambling. Whether you’ve only just come across the world of online gambling and want to learn more before you dive in and make your first account, or you’ve been gambling online for years and just want a bit more info about a few specific elements of online gambling in Iowa, we’ve got the information for you.
Now, you may be wondering how we can actually provide value to you. The answer is that we have a lot of experience and research behind us. When you’re gambling online, you want only the best of the best information guiding you. That’s us! We put our time, effort, dedication, blood, sweat and tears - well, maybe not the last three - into forming the best online casino and sportsbook reviews for you. If we don’t trust an operator, then we won’t recommend them to you. Even experienced online gamblers can benefit from a nudge in the right direction at times, so don’t be afraid to take us up on this help!
A brief history of the legality of gambling in Iowa across the years - The story before Iowa online gambling sites came about
Most people are only concerned with whether a certain type of gambling is legal in the here and now, but it can be interesting and worthwhile to take a look back on the history of gambling being legalized and criminalized. These occurrences aren’t always black-and-white, and many states have zig-zagged back and forth when it comes to legalizing gambling. Sometimes, states take a full step backwards when the idea of online gambling is first introduced. These histories are interesting peeks into the worlds of legislation for each state, so let’s take a little glance at Iowa’s story today.
First of all, we should cover that gambling was completely illegal in Iowa between 1846 and 1872. However, it’s important to remember that during this long period, some gambling likely happened within the state of Iowa. Gambling Iowa is always going to happen regardless of the law - not that we at Strafe.com encourage breaking or testing the laws around gambling in any way - but we should also consider that throughout the 1800s and even the early 1900s, America was a very different place and the continued interest in gambling obviously led to its eventual legalization.
So, after over one hundred years of there being no legal gambling, what happened to change Iowa’s stance on gambling in Iowa? As with many states across the US, it began with a little change to the laws regarding state lotteries. Many may have predicted that other types of gambling would not be legalized afterwards but, as we now know, this was not the case. 1983 saw the reintroduction of horse and dog race betting and Iowa became the first state in the US to legalize river boat casinos in 1991, although many other states such as Indiana soon followed.
Let’s get to the topic that we all really care about, now: online gambling. Iowa isn’t exactly a usual case for a US state in that some parts of online gambling have been legalized, while other parts haven’t been. The laws might be seen as a bit of a gray area for some, which obviously can be dangerous when wanting to stay on the right side of the law, but we at Strafe.com are going to simplify it: sports betting is legal online in Iowa, while other forms of betting (like online casino games) are not.
This situation may change in the future, and we’d say it’s more than likely that many states across the US (including Iowa) will adjust their stances on online gambling in general in the coming years. However, for now, it’s safest to stick to online sports betting when you’re looking for legal online gambling Iowa. This will ensure that you stay on the safe side of the law, since online gambling in the form of sports betting has been legalized in Iowa since 2019 and this is the best form of gambling to pursue in terms of legality and security in the state.
Our editor’s pick for the best online sportsbook for Iowa residents - BetMGM is one of the best Iowa online gambling sites
Iowa online gambling might sound like a bit of a minefield, but you can be sure that you’re getting a good experience when you choose BetMGM. From the sleek appearance and design of the website to the regal black, gray and gold color scheme, we couldn’t be more impressed with this operator. Not just available for Iowa residents, this operator is licensed and legal in a variety of states from Arizona to Tennessee and many inbetween, so there’ll be no worries if you end up moving state and relocating. You can take this high-quality operator with you in your pocket!
BetMGM has many great features, and a top one is how many different payment methods it allows you to use. Of course, you can use the standard PayPal, credit card and bank transfer, but you can also make use of Pay Near Me, Skrill, Play+ and many other online payment methods to suit your Iowa online gambling experience. Once you’ve got some funds in your BetMGM balance, you can then place bets on a wide variety of sports and even enjoy live streaming services. They even have 24/7 customer service, which means that there’s always someone to talk to if something goes wrong or doesn’t feel right.
If you sign up to BetMGM, you also get to participate in their welcome bonus. BetMGM have many promotions for users who have already signed up which you can look forward to - known as existing user promos - but you should pay attention to the new user first bet offer of up to $1000 paid back in bonus bets if you don't win. This means that you can place your first bet and, if it’s unsuccessful, then you can recieve your money back in bonus bets which you can then use with your BetMGM account to keep gambling - so it’s not quite a win-win, but it’s a lose-win, and that’s better than a lose-lose!
Top five tips from Strafe - For a fair gambling experience at Iowa online gambling sites
Always research an operator before signing up
It might sound simple and easy, but many people are entranced by showy welcome bonuses and forget to do their due diligence when it comes to researching the operator behind the bonus. There are a few key things you should be looking for when it comes to a new operator: contact information, transparent terms and conditions, clear payment method information, and many other markers of security. Let’s go through a couple more in our top tips for keeping yourself safe when gambling Iowa.
Gamble over encrypted connections
Some of the information that is easily found when it comes to checking out an operator’s website for the first time is whether that operator has an encrypted connection or not. We can easily guide you to learn how to find out whether a website has an encrypted connection - you should use this tip for any website where you’re handing over personal information, such as your bank or when online shopping. Look for a ‘https://’ URL beginning and a padlock, sometimes green, next to the URL in the address bar. ‘http://’ on its own is not encrypted and cannot be trusted.
Get in touch with customer support
You should be able to approach customer support and ask any questions or queries you have about the operator prior to signing up. Approachable customer service staff are always a good sign when it comes to the best Iowa gambling sites, and you can learn a lot about the ways that you contact customer support, the times when they’re open and how useful they are at answering questions by getting in touch before any major issues crop up. So don’t be afraid to use this service!
Read those terms and conditions
We can hear you sighing and rolling your eyes at the sight of ‘terms and conditions’ but we’re being very serious when we say that you have to read them. Otherwise, you won’t know what sort of agreement you’re getting into with an operator, and that could be potentially putting yourself into a difficult legal situation if anything goes wrong. One of the best ways to gauge what a new operator is all about is to read through the terms and conditions - and don’t agree to them if you don’t agree with them!
Check the licensing and security
For gambling Iowa websites, you should be able to find all of the information you need regarding their licensing in the footer of the website. If it’s not here - which it should be - then it should also be on the ‘About’ page of the website, which you can usually find through navigation menus or sometimes there will be a link to the ‘About’ page in the footer of a website. If you can’t find the licensing information anywhere, then this is a huge red flag - beware!
Iowa online gambling sites - A little look into how we review gambling in Iowa operators
You may be wondering about how we come to the decisions that we come to in our reviews at Strafe.com, which is a perfectly valid query. We can go on and on about our experience and dedication, but what about the actual decisions? How do we separate the good operators from the bad, and the excellent from the mediocre? Largely, the answer to these questions lies in the factors that we use to make sure that we’re judging all operators fairly and efficiently. Today, we’re ready to share these factors with you so that you can use these to understand how we come to our decisions in our reviews and even use these factors in your own decision-making process.
Some of the top factors that we take into account when it comes to legal online gambling Iowa websites are:
- Bonus offers - What sort of bonuses and promotions are being offered by the operator? Are these high-quality bonuses or are they just flashy, attention-grabbing promos? Are they available for existing users as well as new users?
- Usability, look and feel - Is it easy to get lost when navigating through the website? Is the color scheme attractive? Are the different sports easy to find? Is there a search function?
- Payment methods - How many different payment methods are available to use? What are the withdrawal times for these payment methods? What are the limits on the payment methods and on accounts in general?
- Customer service - How many different ways can you contact customer service? Is customer support available 24/7 and, if so, through which methods? Are customer service staff friendly and approachable, and are they knowledgeable about the operator and common issues?
- License and security - Is the operator properly licensed and is this information available on the website? In which states is it legal to use the operator? Is the operator working through an encrypted connection to keep customer information safe?
- Rewards and loyalty programs - Is there a loyalty program available? If so, how does it work and how high quality are the rewards offered?
Check out these top gambling sites!
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There’s plenty Iowa online gambling sites - But what about finding the best Iowa gambling sites for you?
Now that you know how we find what are the best online gambling sites in our opinion, and some safety tips for when you find sites on your own, we should come to the really important questions. How can you find an online gambling operator that is right for you? It needs to be trustworthy whilst being high-quality and it should have features which cater to your specific needs. You should research whether an operator offers betting on your favorite sports and whether the odds for that sport are competitive.
But it can stretch so much further than that. You should find an operator that has a website which you find easy to navigate and doesn’t feel too cluttered for you. You could choose an operator which has a website with a color scheme that doesn’t drain your eyesight, too. Above all, you should make sure that when you’re clicking through the website, you’re having a good time and you can envision yourself spending time with this user interface. If not, why would you choose to sign up to that operator?
Maybe it’s more of a function over form situation for you, and that can be valid too. Just make sure that your chosen operator has features which benefit you and suit your unique gambling situation and style. If you want to be able to bet on tennis and UFC fights, then make sure you find an operator that offers both. If you want to watch live streams while you bet, then make sure that an operator not only offers live streams, but offers them for the sport you want to watch and check to see if there are any sneaky fees for watching the live streams. Above all, do your research to make sure that you find the right operator for you.
Conclusion - Strafe’s final thoughts on gambling in Iowa
Online gambling Iowa might seem like a bit of an intimidating field to get into at first, but we at Strafe.com definitely don’t want this to be the case. Sports betting can be a wonderful activity to take part in and can bring you closer to the sports that you love, whether that is college football or cricket.
No matter what your taste in sports is, you should be able to bet on those sports from the comfort of your own home if you want to, and we are more than happy to take you on the journey you need to go on to find the right operator for you. Look through our reviews, check over our advice and make sure you keep yourself safe when enjoying the best gambling sites for US residents!
Top betting bonus offers for 2023
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Online gambling Iowa FAQ
❓Can Iowa residents gamble online?
We at Strafe.com know that some Iowa residents may be a little bit confused about the exact ins and outs of the legal situation for online gambling in Iowa at the moment, as it’s far from a black-and-white, one-answer-fits-all situation. However, we have the knowledge required to enlighten you a little about what’s going on, so hop over to our article where we break down the legality of online gambling in Iowa in simple terms for everyone scratching their heads over this complicated situation. We’ll also share the best Iowa sportsbooks!
🚨 Is it safe to gamble online if you’re from Iowa?
While looking for the best betting sites in Iowa, some people may be wondering if online gambling is safe. Iowa residents may want to gamble online but find themselves worrying about whether they’ll lose money and vital personal details. The answer is that, just like when buying takeout food or shopping for fashion online, you’re always taking a little bit of a gamble, but you can heavily reduce that gamble by knowing where you’re gambling. Research will be your best friend and we at Strafe.com can help you out massively with that research.
💰 What are the best welcome bonuses for online gambling Iowa?
Looking for the best welcome bonuses at Iowa sports betting sites? The best welcome bonus really depends on what sort of person you are and what sort of gambling style you have. We can’t tell you what the exact best bonus is in just the same way that we can’t tell you what the best food is - you’ll have your own preferences. We can, however, show you the best of the best and let you pick from those, which is exactly what we love doing on our website at Strafe.com where you will find tons of reviews and plenty of information to form your own decisions on the best welcome bonuses for online gambling Iowa.
