Hard Rock Enters Iowa with Gaming Innovation Group’s Sportsbook

After launching in New Jersey earlier in 2019, Hard Rock is adding Iowa to its list of US states for its sportsbook product.

The initial plan is for Hard Rock to launch land-based sports betting on its premises at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City. The online and mobile offering is expected to go live before the end of the year.

Just like in New Jersey, Hard Rock’s sports betting platform in Iowa will be powered by the Malta-based Gaming Innovation Group.

Hard Rock’s Presence in Iowa

Hard Rock’s plans to launch sports betting operations in the state were approved by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) back in June.

The project included the renovation of its wine bar at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City, as well as the conversion of 400 sq ft of space occupied by its casino into a sports betting area.

The plans also involved creating a sports betting area at its Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood.

Iowa Sports Betting Showing Strong Results

According to data made available by IRGC, sports betting generated approximately 146,000 USD in state tax revenue in the month of August.

This figure is impressive given the fact that the first sports bets were made only on the 15th of the month. Moreover, some of the casinos offering sports betting launched their sportsbook operations at an even later date.

Launching in Time for the NFL Season

It’s no surprise that Hard Rock is in a hurry to launch the sportsbook shortly after the start of the 2019-2020 NFL season.

With the season already well underway and college football games starting soon, we can expect to see the rest of the 18 casinos who applied for a sports betting license in Iowa to be operational very soon.