The 2026 session of the Iowa Legislature was slated to end on April 21.
It did not.
Now, nearly a week later, lawmakers claim they believe they’ll indeed adjourn the session soon. They need to compromise on property tax legislation first. But the extension past the April 21 unofficial cutoff date has allowed a bill that would hurt sweepstakes casinos operating in Iowa to remain under consideration.
However, in this overtime session, so to speak, the most crucial pieces of legislation are taking priority. Will the sweeps bill in question — Senate File 2289 — surpass that threshold of importance and get pushed along the finish line to notch another victory for the anti-sweeps coalition in 2026?
Reviewing what SF2289 would do in Iowa
As the law stands today, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission lacks the power to act against operators that aren’t licensed under its authority. IRGC Administrator Tina Eck told Iowa Capital Dispatch when the bill was filed in January that, for now, the agency’s only real option is issuing public warnings, urging residents to steer clear of sites it considers risky or illegitimate.
SF2289 would change that.
The bill includes language that would expand the commission’s enforcement powers, including issuing cease-and-desist orders and seeking court injunctions against anyone offering games of chance, sports betting, gambling, or sweeps casinos in Iowa without proper licensing. And, since sweepstakes gaming isn’t regulated in the state, any platform operating in Iowa is unlicensed — so 100% of Iowa sweeps casinos would be liable to receive a cease-and-desist.
Eck said the most common offenders the IRGC encounters are scam websites mimicking legitimate casinos, offshore sportsbooks like MyBookie and Bovada, and crypto-based sweepstakes platforms. While she didn’t call out traditional sweepstakes casinos directly, the bill’s wording includes them.
“We have a strong regulatory system that ensures the games are fair,” Eick told Iowa Capital Dispatch. “We hold those [regulated] operators accountable. Their information and their funds are secure, and then they have responsible gaming, self exclusion programs in place, and then we tax them. They pay their fair share of taxes to Iowa.
“The bottom line is, illegal gaming undermines the public trust and puts Iowans at risk.”
Just one more step to pass
One thing going for SF2289 is that it’s already right on the doorstep of passage.
It currently sits in the Senate after passing the House unanimously — 93-0 — on April 21 (what was originally slated to be the final day of the 2026 session).
However, the version that passed the House had been amended from the version that originally passed the Senate (also unanimously, 44-0) on Feb. 23. So, in order to fully pass SF2289 and send it to Gov. Kim Reynolds, SF2289 would just need to clear one Senate vote. And in the final days of a session, legislatures can sprint through floor votes on bills like nobody’s business.
But will the amendment cause problems?
Likely not.
The amendment shrinks the available reimbursement pool for the IRGC from $70,000 to $45,000. We’d find it hard to believe any government would balk at an amendment that saves the state $25,000, as small as that may seem.
What SF2289 doesn’t do
It’s important to note: SF2289 does not officially outlaw sweepstakes casinos.
Instead, it simply gives the state regulator the power to send cease-and-desist orders to sweeps casinos operating without a license in the state. Currently, the IRGC only has the authority to take regulatory action over the entities it governs: the state’s online sportsbooks, its retail casinos, and its retail sportsbooks.
In terms of enforcement teeth, SF2289 stands as a weak action, relatively speaking, compared to bills that officially codify the illegality of sweepstakes casinos or, in Louisiana’s case, a bill that would turn offering sweeps casino gaming into a racketeering crime.
But it’s still something. It gives the IRGC the power to draw a line in the sand, and sweeps operators can make a decision in response. And that’s more than it can do now.
How 2026 has progressed so far for pro-sweeps, anti-sweeps
Thus far, 2026 has been a bit quieter of a year on the anti-sweeps front than 2025, which was to be expected, as it’s harder to be louder than losing sweepstakes gaming in California, New York, and New Jersey.
Indiana and Maine are the only two states to enact new sweeps gaming bans. Late last week, the Tennessee Legislature finally approved a bill (after quite the roller coaster of a journey) that would ban sweepstakes casinos, but we’ll see what the governor decides. There’s not necessarily any reason to doubt he’ll sign.
Meanwhile, 2026 legislation has failed to pass in Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Mississippi.
Other than Iowa, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Washington, DC are also still considering a bill that bans sweepstakes casinos. Or, in Louisiana’s case, two bills: one that classifies offering sweeps gaming as a racketeering crime, and one that officially outlaws dual-currency gaming at sweeps casinos.
