William Hill has announced plans to open a new sportsbook at the Lakeside Hotel & Casino in Osceola, Iowa.
Construction is already underway at the Affinity Gaming-operated property and the book will open for business on Thursday 15 August.
Guests and bettors at the sportsbook — which includes 14 65-inch viewing monitors with 4K LCD displays and two 86-inch viewing monitors with 4K Ultra HD displays — will have access to William Hill’s industry leading mobile app, kiosks, and in-play wagering menu.
Lakeside Hotel & Casino is located around 45 miles south of Des Moines.
William Hill entered in to a long-term agreement with Affinity in June 2012 to run the sportsbooks at its five Nevada properties, with the Nevada-based casino operator also running three casinos in Colorado and two in Missouri.
“Our new sportsbook at Lakeside Hotel & Casino expands our long-standing partnership with Affinity Gaming,” said David Grolman, president of retail operations for William Hill US. “We have operated their sportsbooks in Nevada for many years and look forward to providing exciting new experiences to resort guests and sports fans in Iowa.”
“We are partnering with William Hill to provide our guests with an exciting entertainment experience for football season and beyond,” David Monroe, vice president and general manager for Lakeside Hotel & Casino said. “William Hill has long been the gold standard for sports betting and we look forward to partnering with them as soon as we are able to take the first bet.”
The deal the fourth sports betting partnership for William Hill in Iowa. The company signed a deal earlier this month (16 July) with Eldorado Resorts to operate a sportsbook at its casinos in Bettendorf and Waterloo and a deal with Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino to operate a sportsbook at its casino in Des Moines.
On 14 May, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed off on a bill to legalise sports betting in the state. The bill allows for betting on professional and collegiate sports — except for bets on player performance for Iowa-based collegiate athletes — and includes a tax rate of 6.75% on an operator’s annual sports wagering net receipts. The bill also includes a ban on daily fantasy sports contests based on collegiate players, but this will only be in force until May 2020.