Northwest Iowa — A lot of people do it, but it’s technically illegal. Betting on sports happens every day in the U.S., but it’s all done “under the table.” That could change, depending on the outcome of a ruling by the United States Supreme Court.
The state of New Jersey is challenging the federal anti-gambling law that bans sports betting in all states except Nevada. Other states have voiced their support for ending the ban. A Republican candidate for Iowa Governor has even come out in support of legalizing sports betting in Iowa. Ron Corbett says the state can raise millions for the mental health system by legalizing sports betting. He says most of the legal analysis favor the states. But the national sports leagues like the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and other professional sports leagues, plus the NCAA are against it, saying that the ban protects the integrity of their games.
In Iowa, Corbett says there are at least two ideas for how it would be handled if the Supreme Court ruled in favor of New Jersey and the Iowa Legislature decided to allow sports betting. It could be handled by the Iowa Lottery or by the state’s casinos. Corbett says he would favor lottery control, but is not opposed to the casinos handling it either.
General Manager Sharon Haselhoff at Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort near Larchwood says that sports betting is on their long-range radar, but she says the Supreme Court has to decide first. She says the legislature would have to weigh in as well, so it’s nothing they have immediate plans for at this time. She says we’ll just have to wait and see what the Supreme Court decides.
