As for online poker, the legal minimum gambling age is 21. Is Online Gambling Legal in Iowa? As previously discussed, in short, the answer is yes. This is because there are no specific laws covering the area of online gambling and Iowa poker online. Iowa was the first state to regulate riverboat gambling (in 1989). Recent Headlines for Iowa and Online Poker. Iowa was in the news again in early 2012 as a result of a proposed bill to regulate online poker in the state. Like previous attempts to pass online poker regulation in Iowa, the bill appears to have permanently stalled. Iowa Online Bonus Poker Options. Online poker rooms typically offer a bonus cash offer to new members that matches a portion of their first deposit. These percentages range from site to site, and the bonus money that they award is often delivered small allotments based on participation in approved poker games.

Iowa has similar gambling laws as Indiana and Illinois, in the fact that they encompass the whole idea of gambling, and not make so much of a distinction between game of chance and games of skill. Iowa simply defines gambling as:

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:
a. Participate in a game for any sum of money or other property of any value.
b. Make any bet.
c. 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.
d. For a fee, deliver anything of value which 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.
e. Engage in bookmaking.

This statute is very broad, and deals with the act of wagering, instead of deciding which types of games are illegal and which are not.

Gambling Allowed in Iowa

Iowa is pretty much an open state when it comes to regulated gambling. They do allow several different forms of gambling as long as they adhere to the law. Iowa has a state-run lottery, and also allows pari-mutuel gambling on horse and dog races. Included in this are licensed commercial and Indian (Native American) casinos. At most of the racetracks, a few casino-style games are available for play.

Iowa does not really allow social gambling as a whole, but they do have one exception to that rule. As long as the participants do not lose or win more than $50 within 24-hours, there are no issues. However, gambling events rarely stop at a max limit of $50, which what causes the difficulties with social gambling.

Online Poker Law

Iowa does not allow anyone to operate or gamble on an online casino, or poker room inside, and even outside of the state. According to,

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:
c. 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.

This part of the statute makes it clear that it does not matter how an individual gambles, if they gamble they are inherently breaking the law, regardless of the medium in which they accomplish the task. This could be construed as being part of the online gambling scene, even though they do not explicitly state it, and even though raids or penalties on online poker players has yet to be heard or seen in over a decade of online poker being available to us all – but we are not lawyers and can’t say much else from what is the fact.

Land Based Casinos and Tribal Stances

Iowa has both commercial and tribal casinos, which have to be licensed and regulated. They have more commercial casinos than tribal, as there are fewer tribes in the state. Most casinos, if they want to be allowed to use Class III games like poker and blackjack, have to be attached to a racetrack. The main Tribal casinos in Iowa are operated by the Winnebago, Sac & Fox, and Omaha tribes. As Iowa is a state where they allow both commercial and tribal casinos to operate, there have been some conflicts regarding laws.

Regarding online gambling, there should be no problem between the commercial and tribal casinos, as they each have a fair opportunity to jump on that bandwagon if it ever does get legalized and regulated.

State Regulated Online Poker

Estimated Date of Legalized Online Poker in Iowa: 2017-2018

Iowa is certainly one of the few states that have shown immense progress when it comes to regulating gambling, as it started with riverboat casinos and has now expanded that into casinos and racetracks. So, as far as Iowa regulating and running online poker sites, it is certainly a possibility. All that needs to happen is for that bill to pass, like in many other US states nowadays.

Online Lotteries

Iowa started their lottery in 1985, with their first instant scratch game “Scratch Match and Win”. Iowa uses the revenue gained from the selling of these tickets for social programs like the Veteran Fund. The lottery tickets can only be purchased through retailers, as they have not adopted the online ticket sales yet.

Online Poker Sites

It is clear that Iowa does not endorse or allow unregulated gambling, and that includes poker. However, the debate is whether or not online poker is under those laws. As of yet, there have been little to no problems between online poker players and the state, so it is safe to say that there is minimal risk for those that want to play on U.S. friendly poker sites like BetOnline and Ignition poker.

Iowa residents, like many in the Midwestern UnitedStates, have a love affair with poker. Between the land-based poker rooms, theprivate games (shh… don’t tell anyone), and the online poker that was readilyavailable in the 2000s, the popularity of the game has continued to grow overthe years.

Today, the landscape is ever-changing, and this page willkeep you up to date on everything poker-related in the state – from who lawsthat are changing could affect poker players to understanding the rules of allthe games out there, we have you covered!

Online Poker in Iowa

Americans found themselves playing real money onlinepoker by the millions in the 2000s when some of the largest games in the worldcould be found on these sites. While sitting at home, you could play againstthousands of players and if you hit the right cards, you could be winningevents with seven-figure prize pools! Alas, all of that came crashing down inthe early 2010s when the sites offering online poker in the U.S., all of whichwere unlicensed, were shut down by the government.

These days, Iowa residents can only dream of the daysgone by, and perhaps find a small glimmer of hope in the recent changes tosports betting laws. Iowa residents are now able to make online sports bets dueto the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May2018, and with the door now slightly open, a conversation may occur to expandthe bill to also allow for other forms of online gambling in the state.

Land Based Poker in Iowa

Well before people were playing poker for millions fromtheir computers, poker in Iowa was flourishing at the land-based level. Today,those poker rooms continue to be full of players looking to make money in cashgames or pick off their opponents in tournaments run daily and weekly. A coupleof the rooms are significantly bigger than the others and host large-scaletournaments which attract players not only from Iowa but from all over thecountry!

Here are all the places you can play poker live in Iowa:

Catfish Bend Casino
Diamond Jo Casino Northwood
Grand Falls Casino Resort
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs
Jumer’s Casino
Meskwaki Casino
Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino
Q Casino
Riverside Casino
Winnavegas Casino

Social Poker in Iowa

Real money online poker players found themselves out inthe cold when the poker sites all shut down in 2011, but those who were playingfor free or casually found some solace almost immediately in the social pokerscene. Sites had been popping up all over the place on Facebook, and beforelong, there were millions of poker players hitting the digital felt. Thesesites give players two ways to play – either for free or by purchasing extraplay money chips to bypass smaller stakes games altogether. Yes, we know thissounds crazy – buying chips that you can never cash out – but the sites runningthese games found out the players are also happy to play for recognition fromtheir peers. The gameplay can be a bit suspect at times with so many play moneyplayers in the mix, but at the higher end, the quality of play definitelyincreases.

Subscription Poker in Iowa

Back in the days when online gambling laws were stillcloudy in the U.S., many entrepreneurs were looking for ways to capitalize on arabid poker player base. One way that a few groups came up with was by offeringpoker as a sweepstakes game. In 36 states, including Iowa, players can pay aone-time monthly fee to access these games, where they can then go on to winprizes of all shapes and sizes. One of the leaders in Subscription poker isClub WPT, where players have a chance to win their way to a live World PokerTour event. If you haven’t tried these sites in the past, we encourage you todo so – until real money poker is back and live in Iowa, this may provide youwith the closest thing.

Poker Training in Iowa

Even though you may not be able to access real moneyonline poker in Iowa currently, one day it will return and when it does youwant to be at the top of your game! There is so much to learn about the game ofpoker, and the best place to start is with our Poker Playing Guides. Mostpeople who have played poker typically have only played Texas Hold’em, butthere some amazing other variants that exist out there! With our guides to eachof the different games, you can learn the rules quickly and start practicing atany play money online site that spreads those games! We also offer some tipsand tricks courtesy of our in-house poker experts, and links to informativebooks, videos, and websites that can help you improve your game no matter yourskill level.

Online Poker in Iowa FAQ

Can Iowa residents play online poker with any offshoresites, or are they all shut off from access?

Even though it appeared that all online poker sites wereremoved from the U.S. back in 2011, there are still a handful of smalleroperators continuing to evade the law and offering their games to residents ofIowa and many other states. These sites may offer poker, but they have troubleprocessing payments, so getting your money to and from the sites may prove tobe troublesome. In general, we don’t see the value in the additional risk youhave to take to play with these companies that are not bound to any U.S.regulations.

If I am traveling to a state that offers online poker,am I allowed to play at those sites?

Iowa Poker Online Real Money

Good news! You do not have to be a resident of a state toplay legal online poker in it! However, you will need to be located within thestate borders to be able to access the sites, apps, and your account. If youare traveling to a state like New Jersey, you can just put in your personalinformation and make a deposit, but remember to clean up your account beforeyou leave unless you want to leave your balance in there until you return.

Iowa Poker Online Multiplayer

I always feel like play money online poker is rigged –why is that?

Michigan Poker Online

This comes down to the skill level overall at the tables,as well as the lack of actual risk in playing the games. When there is no moneyon the line, players tend to bet entirely without fear, which doesn’t exactlyreplicate the real money game. Social poker is slightly better as areplacement, and subscription poker is even better. Play those games if you arelooking for more than a shovefest every hand.