Iowa Looking To Add eSports Betting & Sports Props In New Proposal
Contents
What’s In HSB200
HSB200 was introduced on February 10th, 2021, and has begun subcommittee hearings. A few changes would be proposed as the main one is allowing eSports to be bet on. The second change allows betting on sports-related events, which is defined as “an event that takes place in relation to an authorized sporting event, but that is not tied to the outcome of a specific athletic event or contest as authorized by the commission.” This would mean you can wager on the NFL Draft or individual futures like player awards. Many of the original issues revolved around the age of competitors in a draft or eSports event, if they are under the age of 18. Because there are no limits to these bets on offshore sites, the bill will include these to keep users from going to offshore sites.
Age Limits & Live College Betting Remain The Same
There has been some gripe about the legal age of Iowa, but this remains a pretty constant requirement around the country. Users must be 21 or older. That isn’t the case for offshore books, where users have to be 18 or older. This is unlikely to change moving forward, and I would be surprised to see any state start this push. College betting varies from state-to-state as some states have no ability to wager on college sports or cannot bet on any in-state college teams. In Iowa, you can bet on college sports, but live betting remains off the table. HSB200 isn’t looking to address any of these rules put in place.
Why Adding eSports & Specific Props Is Important
eSports might not be front and center when it comes to betting news and importance, but it is more significant than you might believe. It has been the fastest growing sport in terms of gambling over the last few years. There is a growth in viewing as well, with it being so global. Iowa not initially having eSports to be bet on was driving users to bet on eSports on offshore sites. This is not ideal, given one of the main advantages of legalizing sports betting was getting people off offshore sites.
Adding prop betting for things like the draft, awards, trades, and other more unique and niche props would be a win for Iowa. Currently, you can’t bet on something like “who will be the 2021 NBA MVP.” These are popular bets and can be found on offshore sites and within most of the other states. Iowa approving these two features would expand on what residents of Iowa can wager on.
