Smarkets and Affinity Interactive have signed an agreement that will give both companies access to Iowa’s sports betting market. The state will gain Smarkets’ SBK sportsbook app, a global platform with betting and sports trading content, as well as political and current affairs content.
Smarkets plans to release the sportsbook app in Iowa later this year. The company recently signed a deal with Full House Resorts.
Colorado has had the SBK app since June 2020. The company also plans to launch the app in Indiana as well.
Smarkets CEO and Founder Jason Trost said: “I’m incredibly excited about this deal. The potential for SBK is huge in America, so adding our third licensed state is key as we move to our next stage of growth.
“It is particularly meaningful for me as my family is from Iowa, and so I have always wanted the opportunity to launch there. I can’t wait for bettors in Iowa to enjoy SBK’s market-leading odds.”
Affinity Interactive CEO Mary Beth Higgins commented: “We are pleased to help Smarkets add SBK to another US marketplace and look forward to welcoming them to Iowa.”
The state of Iowa was the 11th state to legalize sports betting. Sports betting has been legal in Iowa since May 2019, when Governor Kim Reynolds signed its sportsbook legislation into law. The first sports bets in the state were placed during the 2019 football season.
Since then, Iowa has raked in more than $3.77bn in sports bets and paid $15.9m in taxes.
Bettors throughout the state have been able to sign up for sportsbook accounts using their smartphones and other electronic devices since 2021.
More than $2bn in wagers have been placed statewide, according to statistics published in 2021.
Since the Supreme Court repealed PASPA in 2018, online gambling is currently available in more than 30 states, with 18 of those allowing for legal online sports wagering.
