Internet Opens Iowa’s Sports Betting Floodgate

DES MOINES — Iowans are betting on sports at a record clip, but experts worry it may not be all fun and games.The Jan. 1 expansion of legal online wagering over electronic devices as close as your pocket has sprung a bumper crop of TV, radio and social media messages hyping “can’t miss” betting opportunities and get-rich-quick promises from out-of-state sportsbooks that are Iowa’s newest growth industry.And the messages appear to be getting through, with Iowa posting three straight months of record sports betting — with a large share of it placed electronically — and industry experts expecting the March Madness college basketball tournament could push numbers beyond the nearly $150 million gambled in January.Since sports gambling in Iowa became legal in August 2019, bets placed on professional, college and fantasy sports activities have topped the $1 billion plateau.