Iowa politician wants to allow online fantasy sports gambling

“Our laws aren’t caught up to online gambling, and it kind of blew my mind it’s against the law to do that,” said Rep. Jake Highfill, a Republican politician in the Iowa legislature in introducing a proposal to increase current betting limits and legalise online gambling on fantasy sports within the state.

Highfill’s bill would increase the betting limit to $500; currently, Iowa law only allows punters to win $50, which Highfill claimed to the Daily Iowan newspaper leads to Iowans unknowingly breaking a law which can in any case be challenging to enforce.

University of Iowa associate professor John Solow, said: “I don’t see gambling on fantasy sports any different than the turn of a card or the pull of a one-armed bandit. A NCAA March Madness pool or a game like fantasy football or fantasy baseball should be people’s own decision to make.”

Subject to states’ rights, gambling on fantasy sports is exempted from federal laws on internet gambling, along with horse racing and state lotteries.

The pastime has an active university student following, although Highfill’s proposal specifically retains a ban on gambling on educational premises and campuses.

Fantasy players told the newspaper that they supported the higher $500 limit.