Des Moines, Iowa — It appears a bill that would legalize and tax sports betting in Iowa may ban bets on games involving college and university teams FROM IOWA. Representative Vicki Lensing of Iowa City says there were concerns some athletes might be pressured to miss a free throw or drop a pass in order to secure a certain outcome.
A House committee endorsed the proposal to ban bets on the performance of athletes in games or matches involving Iowa college teams this past week. Another panel in the House also has voted to tack the concept onto the sports betting bill.
Lensing says she’d prefer to ban bets on ANY college sport, but she’s pleased there’s momentum for at least banning bets on Iowa college and university teams.
Members of the House and Senate are considering a plan that would let the state-licensed casinos offer an “app” for placing bets on professional and college sports. Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton is the House Republican who’s been assigned the task of rounding up “yes” votes for legalized sports betting.
The proposal calls for imposing a state tax on the bets placed on sporting events. Bill backers warn it won’t yield millions in extra revenue for the state, but will police, regulate and tax an activity that’s currently illegal.
