Quad Cities Casinos Ready for New Sports Betting in Iowa
Quad Cities (August 15, 2019) – Starting at noon on August 15, 2019, sports betting is now legal in Iowa, including on mobile devices that have a registered account. The two Iowa casinos in the Quad Cities are ready for people to start wagering.
Both the Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport and the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf are working with sports betting companies to manage the wagering for professional, college, and certain fantasy sports contests.
“We are thrilled about our strategic partnership with WilliamHill.us, America’s leading sports wagering company, that will offer the most diverse sports betting experience to our guests both in person and online,” said Nancy Ballenger, Vice President and General Manager, Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf. “We believe this new experience will attract visitors from out-of-state to stay in our hotel and contribute to the economic growth of the Quad Cities region.”
The Isle Casino has four new ticket windows and sports viewing areas. The new William Hill Sports Book area in the casino features eight 65-inch TVs, 12 55-inch odds monitors, and both standard tables and high-top tables creating an optimal viewing experience for fans to gather to watch their favorite teams. They plan to offer wagers on all types of sports, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, boxing/MMA, auto racing, and more.
Sports betting might be new to patrons so the Isle is ready for the learning curve. They plan to have experienced ticket writers there to help guests navigate the different types of bets and making a wager.
When the Rhythm City built their new land-based casino and hotel facility in Davenport in 2016, the Draft Day Sports Lounge was designed with sports wagering in mind. Draft Day Sports Lounge features a 360-degree screen and television screens for customers to view odds or their preferred games. Rhythm City also features numerous televisions around the property including the Feature Bar and will televise special sporting events on its large screen in the Rhythm Room™. Betting terminals can be placed in there where people are already gathered watching the games.
“We are privileged to be part of the historic launch of sports betting in Iowa with the ELITE Sportsbook™ at Rhythm City Casino Resort,” said Mo Hyder, General Manager, Rhythm City Casino Resort. “Through our partnership with Bet.Works, anyone located in Iowa will be able to place bets on the easy to use and secure elitesportsbook.com.”
Hyder continued, “With all the excitement in the Quad Cities focused around sports on the local, regional and national levels, it truly unifies our community. Sports betting not only provides another entertainment option for our guests, it also allows our community to receive revenue through tax dollars, as well as providing additional contributions to the Regional Development Authority (RDA). As an Iowa-based, locally-owned company, we are able to offer onsite and online sports betting at our state-of-the-art facility that keeps the Iowa and Midwest customer in mind.”
Iowa will be the 11th state in the U.S. to offer legal sports wagering, and the first in the Upper Midwest.
“It is very exciting to see legalized sports wagering being offered as a new entertainment option in the QC region and throughout Iowa,” said Wes Ehrecke, President & CEO, Iowa Gaming Association. “There are so many people who love to watch sports; who will now enjoy being able to bet on pro and college games to enhance their gaming experience.”
Whether betting on-site or on mobile apps, adults 21 and older must first travel to a licensed Iowa casino to prove age and identity to open a registered account. Both the Rhythm City Casino Resort and Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf have on-site sportsbooks and mobile-based sports betting operations.
“Creating memorable experiences that connect with our customers, visitors, and Quad Citizens is paramount to our Quad Cities regional destination’s growth and brand,” said Dave Herrell, President and CEO, Visit Quad Cities. “We look forward to legalized sports wagering being a part of what the QC can offer as an entertainment platform for those that are passionate about sports.”
About Visit Quad Cities
Founded in 1990, Visit Quad Cities is the official Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO) for the region. Visit Quad Cities is a private 501(c)(6) non-profit engine charged with driving economic opportunity through tourism, building an authentic brand, telling & selling the Quad Cities’ story, and enhancing Quad Citizens’ quality of life. www.visitquadcities.com
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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