Statewide — A bill eligible for debate this week in the Iowa Senate would legalize wagering on E-sports.
Betting on video game competitions among multiple players is legal today in Nevada and New Jersey. Susan Daeman, a lobbyist for the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs, says E-sports is hugely popular.
Critics like Daniel Summe of The Family Leader say it’s a dangerous expansion of gambling, particularly for younger Iowans.
And he cites a federal investigation over allegations of bribes and match fixing by some professional E-sports players. Bill backers say state regulators would only allow betting on professional and sanctioned E-sports leagues and it’s illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to gamble in Iowa. Kathryn Kueter is the legislative liaison for Concerned Women for America of Iowa and she’s asking legislators to take a hard look at the bill.
Christopher Rants, a lobbyist for DraftKings and Fan Duel, says the industry originally thought betting on E-sports had been legalized in 2019 when Iowa lawmakers made it legal to wager on sporting events.
Another part of the bill would get rid of required criminal background checks for casino employees who are not directly engaged in conducting or overseeing the gambling operation. Iowa Gaming Association president and CEO Wes Ehrecke says casinos are competing with other businesses in the hospitality industry who don’t require background checks for new employees.
Dave Joseph of the Iowa Department of Public Safety says doing away with background investigations for lower level staff in the casinos raises concerns. He says every year people with active warrants and multiple felonies lie about their criminal histories on job applications just to get inside the casino.
The bill passed the House three weeks ago on a 71 to 28 vote. A key senator is proposing tightening up a section of the bill that would let customers use their smart phones to access a bank account for cashless wagering.
