Real Money Iowa Poker Sites

People have been playing poker in Iowa since the 19th century, while legal casinos hosting poker games have been around since the 1990s. Today, you can enjoy poker in all major tribal and commercial casinos scattered around the Hawkeye State.

On the other hand, the efforts to legalize online poker in Iowa have been futile. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t play online poker for real money in Iowa. Offshore poker sites circumvent the Iowa law, and we will suggest some of the best ones.

Is Real Money Poker Legal in Iowa?

Playing poker for real money is legal in Iowa, but only in officially authorized and licensed commercial and tribal casinos. More than a dozen casinos host poker games throughout the state, featuring cash games and tournaments of various formats.

Regrettably, online poker is still not legal in the state despite some efforts in the past. Nevertheless, Iowan poker players can enjoy poker on offshore sites, which are technically not illegal.

Iowa Online Poker Laws

Iowa attempted to legalize online poker in 2012. The state’s Senate passed an online poker bill, which failed to gain further traction and was eventually laid to rest.

There haven’t been any major attempts to legalize online poker in Iowa since.

However, Iowa law doesn’t specifically ban the use of offshore poker sites. In other words, playing poker on offshore platforms falls in the gray legal area, and players can enjoy poker on these sites without the fear of being punished.

Mind that you should still get familiar with existing gambling laws in Iowa and advise an attorney if you’re worried about accessing offshore poker sites. Read the following documents to learn more:

• Iowa Code 99 (gambling houses)
• Iowa Code 725.5 (gaming and betting)

Best Real Money Online Poker Sites in Iowa

All online poker sites available to Iowans are located offshore, as laws don’t permit any poker sites to operate within Iowa. In turn, this practically means that any poker site willing to accept US players is available to anyone from Iowa, with the minimum age usually set at 18.

My list of the best poker sites which I consider to be the best rooms to play in 2024:

How to Register on a Real Money Poker Site

Once you choose one of the poker sites listed on this page, you only need to complete a quick registration before betting your first chips. Here’s how it goes:

Real Money Mobile Poker Apps

The registration process is identical when playing on a mobile site, although some poker operators might have dedicated apps that you can download and install.

Just follow the instructions on the website on how to install the app. Since these are offshore poker operators, their apps usually won’t be in official app stores. Therefore, you need to go to your phone’s settings and allow the use of third-party apps before installing them.

Visit our Iowa poker apps page to learn more.

Other Resources

Final Thoughts 

Iowa is a great place to be if you enjoy playing real-money poker at land-based casinos. There are plenty of poker rooms, each featuring competitive and exciting cash games and tournaments. However, online poker still hasn’t reached the Hawkeye State, and it likely won’t become officially legal in the next couple of years.

Until it eventually becomes legal, you can pursue online poker on offshore poker sites, the best of which are listed on this page. Pick a website and show off your poker skills to the entire world!

FAQs