Iowa sports betting handle doubles year-on-year in January

| By Robin Harrison
Bettors in Iowa staked $303.3m in the first month of 2022, meaning handle more than doubled year-on-year. 

Amounts wagered for January was up 102.9% from January 2021’s $149.5m total figures from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission show.

This was driven entirely by mobile betting, with customers staking $275.9m during the month, a 128.4% jump. 

Retail, on the other hand, actually declined from January 2021, with stakes down 4.5% to $27.5m. 

Caesars led the way in terms of handle, with customers staking $112.7m through its mobile sportsbook, setting it ahead of DraftKings which reported $68.9m in mobile stakes, and FanDuel on $44.1m. 

For retail, it was the FanDuel sportsbook at the Diamond Jo Worth Casino that led the way, with $8.7m staked. Penn National’s Ameristar II in Council Bluffs followed with customers wagering $5.4m at its Barstool sportsbook, and the Caesars sportsbook at Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs on $3.9m. 

From the statewide handle of $303.3m across all channels, players won back $289.1m, leaving gross revenue of $14.3m for January. This marked a 25.8% improvement from the prior year, with almost all revenue ($12.0m) generated online and just $2.3m from retail betting.