Iowa has long been on the forefront of progressive movements, and their move to legalize sports betting at Iowa casinos is one of the latest.

Sports betting became active in some Iowa casinos Aug. 15 with more casinos in Iowa to soon follow. Coincidentally just in time for football season.

The Iowa casinos that are open for sports betting as of Aug 15 or within a few days after:

• Ameristar
• Catfish Bend
• Isle Bettendorf
• Isle Waterloo
• Lakeside
• Prairie Meadows
• Rhythm City
• Riverside

Iowa has also made sports betting legal online. Details of how exactly this will work is a little unclear for now but will most likely require a bettor to come to a casino and register for an account.

This will enable casinos to verify the age of the bettor. Look for something to verify your IP location to verify that you are in Iowa when making your wager. Online sports betting will be through a mobile app that is specific to each casino.

I have placed many sports bets during my visits to Vegas and Reno. There you can bet on just about anything. I’m sure Iowa casinos will probably not start out that extensive but will probably expand as they get some traction.

Sports betting in Iowa casinos is a welcome sight for me.

It can be a lot of fun and add a little bit more excitement to the game.

Thanks Iowa!