Daily Racing Form to launch sportsbook at Iowa’s Lakeside Casino

Following the successful launch of its first online and mobile sports betting platform in Iowa, Daily Racing Form is getting ready to join the state’s retail sportsbook market this week.

The Affinity Interactive subsidiary announced on Monday that its first wholly owned retail sportsbook will open its doors to Iowans on March 3. The statement comes just a month after the company launched its flagship digital sports wagering platform, drf.com, in the state. The app went live on January 25.

The new DRF retail sportsbook will be located at Lakeside Hotel Casino Osceola, which is about 45 minutes away from Des Moines. The venue will open at 12pm CT on Thursday following an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Lakeside Casino is also owned by Affinity Interactive. The DRF.com mobile betting app is also tethered to the facility.

DRF to replace William Hill sportsbook at Lakeside Casino

Lakeside Casino was among the first licensees to join the regulated Iowa sports betting market when the industry launched on August 15, 2019. The facility is one of six casinos in the Hawkeye State that partner with Caesars, formerly William Hill, for both on-site and online sports betting operations. The others are Horseshoe Council Bluffs, Harrah’s Council Bluffs, Prairie Meadow Racetrack and Casino, Isle Casino Bettendorf, and Isle Casino Hotel in Waterloo.

Following the Thursday opening, the Caesars Sportsbook at Lakeside Casino Hotel will be replaced by the new DRF Sportsbook. The facility will feature two live betting windows, two self-service wagering terminals, and a massive video wall that can show up to eight live matches or sports events simultaneously.

The retail sportsbook will utilize Kambi’s software and technology, just like DRF mobile betting app. Patrons visiting the book will be able to place bets on thousands of events across different sports like football, hockey, baseball, basketball, golf, and tennis.

Commenting on the launch, Affinity Interactive Chairman James Zenni said: “The opening of the DRF Sportsbook is a significant event for Affinity Interactive’s expanding platform. This opening advances our overall strategy towards becoming the prominent omnichannel gaming provider in the U.S.”

In addition to the DRF Sportsbook, Affinity Interactive also owns a free-to-play sports app known as DRF Cash Grab, and DRF Sports, an online sports platform that provides bettors with exclusive, up-to-date analysis, stats, and insights on all the major leagues in the US.

Affinity Interactive targets expansion into more states

The Iowa rollout is just but the beginning of a series of launches planned by Affinity Interactive.

Before the debut of the DRF mobile sportsbook in the jurisdiction, the company said that it was working on bolstering its presence across the US and eventually taking sports bets in every state with a legal market.

Although the company is yet to reveal where it will launch next, Nevada seems the most natural choice since it owns five casinos in the state and they all offer sports betting. The five properties are Rail City casino in Sparks, Silver Sevens Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and Buffalo Bill’s, Primm Valley Resort, and Whiskey Pete’s in Primm, near the California state line. The sportsbooks at these casinos are operated by William Hill.

In addition to Nevada, Affinity Interactive also has market access in Missouri, through its two casinos in the state – St. Jo Frontier Casino in St. Joseph’s and Mark Twain Casino in La Grange.

The company also has a market access agreement with Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG), which will allow the operator to pursue online sportsbook and iGaming licenses in Missouri and offer mobile betting and internet casino services to players in the state when the markets become legal.