An Iowa sports betting bill was advanced by lawmakers through a crucial Senate committee last week, setting up a likely vote before the entire chamber in the coming days and pushing legal wagering on step closer to fruition.

Following the recommendations of a three-person subcommittee meeting earlier this week, the Senate Ways and Means Committee passed SF 366, which would allow licensed riverboat casinos and racetracks to take wagers on sporting events.

More significantly, it allows third-party online vendors into the market, drastically expanding the potential for betting on sports in Iowa. If passed, Iowa could become just the seventh jurisdiction to approve mobile sports betting from anywhere within state lines.

Combined with a similar bill in the House, which passed the lower chamber’s Ways and Means committee last month, sports betting continues to take steps toward legalization before the end of the state’s 2019 legislative session next month.

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