Press Releases
PlayIA.com: Iowa sportsbooks set per-day betting record during $144 million February
Iowa sportsbooks took in nearly $144 million in bets in February and took in more bets per day than in the state’s history, even as the state’s month-over-month handle fell from January’s surge. The bottom line is that the Hawkeye State’s sportsbooks continue to reap significant benefits of no in-person registration requirements, according to analysts for PlayIA, which tracks regulated online and retail gaming in the state.
“Iowa remains perhaps the most compelling case study yet on the effects of in-person registration requirements,” said Jessica Welman, an analyst for PlayIA.com. “February is a short month with only one NFL game to bet on, the Super Bowl, so the relatively flat month-over-month results can be misleading on the surface. But another strong showing still places Iowa in a class of states that are either larger or have far more mature gaming markets. And that would not be possible under the old requirements.”
Online and retail sportsbooks generated $143.6 million in wagers in February, according to official data released Friday. That is down 3.9% from the record $149.5 million handle in January. But betting per day in the 28 days of the month was a record $5.1 million, which was up from the $4.8 million per day bet in the 31 days of January.
February’s handle pushed Iowa’s lifetime handle to $1.1 billion, surpassing an eye-catching milestone.
The biggest reason for the two-month surge is the removal of in-person registration requirements in January. In fact, FanDuel reported new customer registrations multiplied by nearly a factor of seven from December to January, a direct result of the easing of registration requirements. And DraftKings said that by Jan. 5, it had registered more customers via mobile registration than through all of 2020.
Net receipts for sportsbooks did fall 32% month over month, to $7.7 million in February from $11.3 million in January. The month’s revenue still yielded $520,444 in state taxes.
As immediate and significant an effect as the removal of in-person registration requirements has been, it is not the sole reason the state’s sportsbooks remained busy in February. The Super Bowl brought in $16.2 million in wagers, most of which came in February. Bookmakers also benefited from robust interest in men’s college basketball, particularly No. 5 Iowa and Drake, which sits just outside the Top 25.
“When local teams enjoy strong seasons, as both Iowa and Drake are, interest in betting on their games goes up. We see that in every regulated sports betting market in the U.S.,” said Dustin Gouker, analyst for PlayIA.com. “With March Madness on the horizon, more growth almost certainly lies ahead. And sportsbooks should get an even bigger boost if Iowa or Drake can manage a prolonged run in the NCAA Tournament.”
For the month, online sports betting accounted for $143.6 million, or 87.2%, of the state’s overall handle. That brings it closer in line with markets with more mature online sports betting and no on-site registration requirements. In those states, about 90% of all bets are made online.
The surge in online sports betting continues to heat up the race for market share among operators. Iowa’s first online operator in August 2019, William Hill — which partners in Iowa with Prairie Meadows, Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs, Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo, Isle of Capri Bettendorf, Lakeside, and Harrah’s Council Bluffs — retook the online market lead with $45.2 million in online wagers in February. That netted a market-leading $2 million in receipts.
The Wild Rose license, which is anchored by DraftKings but includes BetRivers, took in $38.9 million in online wagers and $1.5 million net receipts. FanDuel, the nation’s largest sportsbook brand, helped put Diamond Jo in third place with $28.4 million in online bets, up from $26.9 million in January. Diamond Jo’s license, which includes BetMGM, netted $1.5 million on those bets.
Still emerging from COVID-related restrictions, retail betting generated $18.4 million, down from $28.8 million. Ameristar topped the retail market with $4.5 million in wagers, just ahead of Diamond Jo Worth’s $4.2 million.
William Hill and its partners lead across all betting platforms, with a combined retail and online handle of $50 million, or 34.8% of the state’s handle. In a U.S. market dominated by FanDuel and DraftKings, Iowa and Nevada are the only two states in which William Hill is the market leader.
“William Hill is still proving that early entry into a market is critically important,” Welman said. “But DraftKings and FanDuel are investing heavily in Iowa, and with their brand recognition, they are seeing a rapid return on that investment. We’ll see how long William Hill is able to hold them off.”
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Iowa, visit PlayIA.com/news.
- The sponsorship agreement between CONMEBOL and Betano reinforces their commitment to the development of football, as part of organising one of the continent’s most important tournaments.
- The CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina 2025™ will be held in Ecuador from July 12 to August 2.
CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) and Kaizen Gaming are proud to announce the later’s premium sports betting and online gaming brand, Betano, as the Official Sponsor of CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina 2025™.
Hosted in Ecuador from July 12th to August 2nd, this year’s tournament is especially significant as it marks the 10th anniversary of the CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina™. Bringing together South America’s 10 women’s football teams, the tournament is a celebration of both football in the continent and women’s sport. At the end of each game, Betano will present the top-performing player with the “MVP Betano” award.
Alejandro Domínguez, President of CONMEBOL, said: “Women’s football is gaining unprecedented momentum across South America. At CONMEBOL, we are focused on promoting the sport, encouraging young women to get involved and fall in love with our beautiful game, and creating better conditions for those who want to pursue a career in football. There is still much work ahead, but having partners like Betano by our side will enable us to elevate women’s football across the continent to new heights. I am confident that our collaboration for the CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina 2025™ will be as successful as the one we had during the CONMEBOL Copa América™️2024”.
Julio Iglesias Hernando, Chief Commercial Officer of Kaizen Gaming, commented: “We are proud to be once again collaborating with CONMEBOL for what promises to be an exciting tournament for all football fans to enjoy. Sponsoring CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina 2025™ is very important for us, as we continue supporting the development of football globally and women’s football in particular. It is amazing to see how the competition has grown in size and strength, while showcasing the skills of some of the world’s best female footballers.”
The sponsorship of CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina 2025™ is part of Betano and CONMEBOL’s broader partnership, which started with the CONMEBOL Copa América™️ 2024 and extends through 2028. In addition to supporting CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina 2025™, the partnership also sees Betano as the Official Sponsor of the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic tournament, CONMEBOL Copa América Futsal Men and Women and CONMEBOL Copa América Beach Soccer.
BETBY, a leading sportsbook supplier, has announced a new partnership with prominent LATAM-focused esports provider Mobadoo, in a move that will see its Betby.Games portfolio fully integrated into Mobadoo’s product lineup.
This collaboration enables Mobadoo — which has an established presence and deep market understanding across Latin America — to incorporate BETBY’s proprietary and award-winning esports offering, delivering dynamic and fast-paced betting content to its growing user base. Among Betby.Games’ titles are eSoccer, eBasketball, eFighting, eCricket, eShooter, eHorse Racing, eTennis, and the Brazil-relevant eVaquejada.
As one of the most comprehensive and high-frequency esports betting solutions in the industry, Betby.Games offers access to more than 70 tournaments, over 350 betting markets, and more than 300,000 live matches each month. This collaboration will not only enhance Mobadoo’s offering but also reinforce BETBY’s position as a leading esports supplier in the LATAM region, a key pillar in the supplier’s global expansion strategy.
“Mobadoo has an excellent reputation and strong regional expertise, making them an ideal partner for us. Their commitment to innovation in esports and the rapid growth of this vertical in the region made our partnership only a matter of time,” commented Kirill Nekrasov, BETBY’s Head of Sportsbook Product. “This agreement not only expands the reach of our unique Betby.Games content, but also aligns perfectly with our global strategy of delivering flexible, high-performance esports solutions to next-generation operators. Together, we’re set to further strengthen our leading position in the LATAM region.”
José Aníbal Aguirre, Chief Marketing Officer at Mobadoo, added: “We’re thrilled to integrate Betby.Games into our offering. The depth and quality of their esports content is unmatched, and this partnership gives us a powerful new edge in catering to LATAM’s passionate esports fanbase. With BETBY’s support, we’re confident we can elevate the player experience and unlock new growth opportunities across the region.”
There is a new hero in Mexico as FBM® launches the thrilling Croc’s Lock™. This slot game merges an engaging storyline with a disruptive game mechanic based on the Lock feature and two accumulators, taking players into a cartooned adventure with Super Croc full of golden coins to collect.
Croc’s Lock is a 30-line slot filled with adrenaline and great prizes. Super Croc is the character around all action happens. Working with 15 independent reels, Croc’s Lock offers gaming sessions where Super Croc exploits lead the player through an entertaining journey with three new features. The surprise element is always present, as the big prizes can come on the main game or bonus free spins modes.
Extra Coins and Extra Spins unlock extra fun!
The central reel is the focus of the Croc’s Lock game mechanic. Every time players obtain a Super Croc on this position, the Lock Feature is activated. Super Croc liberates all the existing lock symbols and may open the bonus with Extra Coins, Extra Spins or both accumulators combined.
If the bonus mode starts with one chest open, players get five free spins. This number increases to ten free rounds when Super Croc triggers Extra Spins and Extra Coins at the same time. Each accumulator of the Croc’s Lock slot game presents a different feature:
- Extra Spins – Super Croc releases thunders from its fingers, increasing the free spins counter during the bonus rounds.
- Extra Coins – Super Croc changes the reels by shooting flaming coins to introduce more lock symbols on each free round.
The character stays on the central reel during the bonus plays. The features attached to each accumulator appear in the first free spin and can be repeated several times during the bonus rounds.
When players get into the bonus with one of the accumulators active, Super Croc keeps contributing with coins for the unopened chest. These contributions can lead to the opening of the other accumulator, allowing players to benefit from the combined effect of Extra Spins and Extra Coins.
Four jackpots, reel rewinds, and Luck Has Arrived to collect bags of coins
The Lock feature is just a part of Croc’s Lock’s adrenaline injection. This FBM slot offers a complete feature set, including four Progressive Jackpots and two game features ready to keep the players engaged on the screen: Rewind and Luck Has Arrived.
- Progressive Jackpots – Croc’s Lock offers access to four different prize levels – Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand – through a jackpot vault that can appear on the reels during the main game or bonus rounds.
- Rewind – part of the Super Croc special powers, this feature changes the game round outcome. When Crocs hits the paw, one or more reels will change the symbol displayed and deliver a winning round to the player.
- Luck Has Arrived – the lasers coming from the eyes of the Super Croc pre-announce this feature, anticipating a big win for the player.
A villain, a hero and great graphics engage players in a disruptive FBM slot!
Several factors contribute to the immersive game experience offered by Croc’s Lock. Besides the rewards included in the product’s feature set, this FBM slot involves casino players and operators through a compelling narrative with the traditional duel “hero vs villain”.
On one side, the Lock represents the evil force of the game and is visible on all lock symbols landed on the 15 independent reels, bringing challenges to the game hero on each spin. On the other side, Super Croc embodies the superpowers of the good forces on a joyful character, who guides the player on all relevant moments of the game with entertaining animations like the dances, the paw hit, the Extra Spins thunders, the Extra Coins flaming coins or the Luck Has arrived lasers.
The sound effects of Croc’s Lock add an extra layer of enthusiasm, completing the visual effects and animations of the game with sounds that keep on the player’s mind with catchy rhymes and melodies.
Available for the Galaxy II, Auria and Shadow III casino cabinets, Croc’s Lock starts its expansion journey in Mexico. Designed for players looking for significant prizes in durable and long-lasting gaming sessions, this title promises to enchant slot fans spread all over the country.
Following the releases of Jin Qián Link Spirits™ and Xing Fú Fortune Money Trees™, FBM continues renovating its slots portfolio with an innovative, reliable, high-performing casino game. Croc’s Lock is compatible with different casino floor layouts and ready to add value to the casino operator’s portfolio with an exciting narrative and compelling aesthetics, features, and game mechanics.
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