JEFFERSON, Iowa — The NCAA tournament is set to begin Thursday, and with March Madness comes the hope of more sports wagering for Iowa casinos.
At this time last year, what was supposed to be the first time Iowans could bet on tourney games was surpassed by the emerging pandemic.
"Last March we were hoping for March Madness and all we got was the madness of COVID," Wild Rose Casino and Resort - Jefferson General Manager Travis Dvorak said.
With Las Vegas as the standard, March Madness is always the busiest weekend of the sports betting calendar.
A year later, the nine-figure industry is finally going to get its opportunity, with the Iowa Hawkeyes and Drake Bulldogs both part of the bracket.
"I think most operators are expecting to see a month as good, if not better than what they've seen in January and February," Brian Ohorilko, Administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, told Local 5.
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January and February were all-time high months for sportsbooks in Iowa.
The total amount of money wagered at all of the sportsbooks in Iowa rose from just over $100 million in December 2020 to almost $150 million in both January and February of 2021.
Money wagered on sports betting in Iowa (Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission)
- December 2020: $104,815,004.21
- January 2021: $149,524,789.11
- February 2021: $143,615,169.91
Much of this increase was boosted by changes in registration rules. As of January 2021, players no longer have to register inside a casino. Instead, they can do it online.
"It opened up markets to a lot of customers and what that in effect has done has increased marketing from a number of the sportsbooks," Ohorilko said.
Wild Rose Casino & Resort in Jefferson saw a 69% increase in online gambling in January 2021 alone. With March Madness almost here, expectations are only going up.
"I would not be surprised if March would be [Iowa's] biggest month," Ohorilko said. "Time will tell, but I would not be surprised."
"You can start feeling the excitement already in our restaurant, sports book and on the casino floor," Dvorak added.