Slot Machine Jackpot Iowa

Assistant County Attorney James Katcher said Myers was playing the slot machine when it hit the jackpot, and he claimed Knapp agreed to sign for the winnings because Myers had outstanding state.

How To Win Slot Machine Jackpot
Slot Machine Jackpots Winners
Slot Machine Jackpot Iowa Lottery
Slot Machine Jackpot Iowa Caucuses

Previous ban led to denied payout

An Iowa woman had the experience that everyone who puts a coin into a slot machine dreams about: she hit the jackpot. But Tamara Bean has not seen a dime of her winnings, as the casino is refusing to pay her.

Bean played the penny slots at Ameristar Council Bluffs and won a $1,733 jackpot. When she tried to cash out, the casino informed her that she had been banned for marijuana possession in 2002. As a result, she was ineligible to claim her winnings.

Bean says casino allowed her to gamble

Speaking with NBC 6 News in Omaha, Bean was incredulous at the turn of events, and added that

They haven’t shown me anything to state I wasn’t allowed in there.”

Ameristar Council Bluffs disagrees with Bean on that point. The casino insists that it has documentation that she was barred from the premises seventeen years ago. Her signature is on that notice and reads “Tamara Sheffield”, her name before she got married.

Bean made several arguments in her interview with NBC 6. She believes that since she has patronized Ameristar Council Bluffs on numerous occasions with a legal driver’s license showing her as Tamara Bean, there should not have been any problems with her winning a jackpot. She also feels that because the casino granted her a rewards card, it was effectively granting her permission to play.

Cashout triggered identity check

The problem for Bean is that, according to Ameristar, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission says the casino does not have to make sure banned players stay away. It was not until she scored her big cash that Ameristar needed her social security number. In Iowa, slot machine winnings of more than $1,200 are reported by the casino on form W-2G.

Even though Bean has a rewards card, social security numbers are not required to get one. Therefore, with a different name, her earlier ban would not have been pinged.

Gaming Commission backs Ameristar

Adamant that she is owed her jackpot, Bean asked the Gaming Commission to investigate. It ruled that the casino’s decision was “not arbitrary” and was therefore valid.

According to the news report, there was a similar case at Prairie Meadows Casino and Hotel in Altoona, Iowa, in which a previously banned player won $9,000. The Commission said the act of gambling created a contract between the casino and the player. This contract gave the casino the right to keep the customer’s winnings.

Despite the commission’s input and Ameristar’s documentation of her banishment, Bean still believes the casino is freerolling her. She insisted that

They took my money for all these years, so why wouldn’t you give me the money that I legally own?”

Introduction to Iowa Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Iowa slot machine casino gambling consists of 16 riverboat casinos, four tribal casinos, and three pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines.

Payout return minimum and maximum limits have been legally set for four tribal casinos, but none exist for the 19 commercial casinos. However, payout return statistics are available for these commercial casinos.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

Keep Reading … or Watch Instead!

Or … Listen Instead!

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Iowa*

The minimum legal gambling age in Iowa does not depend upon the gambling activity:

Land-Based Casinos: 21
Poker Rooms: 21
Bingo: 21
Lottery: 21
Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 21

Iowa has had a steady progress toward various forms of legalized gambling, sometimes the first state in the nation to offer them via constitutional amendments. This timeline includes:

1972: Games of change such as bingo and raffles
1983: Pari-mutuel wagering at racetracks
1985: State lottery
1989: Excursion boat gambling approved
1991: Riverboat gambling boats opened (first in the nation)
1992: Tribal-state compacts approved for tribal casinos
1994: Slot machines allowed at pari-mutuel wagering sites
2004: Permanent mooring of riverboat casinos allowed
2005: Many new licenses granted for new riverboat casinos

Iowa is at the forefront of the gambling industry with regards to legalized gambling. It was the first state to legalize riverboat casinos. Also, they were the first to legally allow both slot machines and table games at pari-mutuel racetrack facilities. By doing so, they created the first so-called racinos.

In mid-2017, the IRGC requested gaming market analysis studies from two independent contracting companies. These comprehensive Iowa gaming market studies became publicly available in October 2017.

The negotiated and approved tribal-state gaming compacts for Iowa’s three federally-recognized tribes is available at Indian Gaming Compacts within the Indian Affairs Division of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Iowa

In Iowa, it is legal to own a slot machine privately if it is 25 years of age or older.

Gaming Control Board in Iowa

The Iowa legislature created the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) with the passing of the Pari-Mutuel Wagering Act of May 1983. The IRGC administers this Act and the Exclusive Boat Gambling Act of 1989, which legalized riverboat casinos.

Casinos in Iowa

There are 16 riverboat casinos, four American Indian tribal casinos, and three pari-mutuel wagering racinos in Iowa.

The largest casino in Iowa is Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino with 1,682 gaming machines and 50 table games.

The second-largest casino is Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs with 1,526 gaming machines and 26 table games.

Commercial Casinos in Iowa

There are 19 commercial casinos in Iowa, including the following riverboat casinos and pari-mutuel wagering racetracks with slot machines:

Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs located 132 miles west of Des Moines.
Casino Queen Marquette located 131 miles northwest of Davenport near the Wisconsin border.
Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington located 78 miles southwest of Des Moines near the Illinois border.
Diamond Jo Casino Dubuque located 72 miles north of Davenport near the Illinois border.
Diamond Jo Worth Casino in Northwood located 135 miles north of Des Moines near the Minnesota border.
Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood located 291 miles northwest of Des Moines near the northwest corner of Minnesota.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City located 200 miles northwest of Des Moines near the Nebraska border.
Harrah’s Casino & Hotel Council Bluffs located 133 miles west of Des Moines.
Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs, a pari-mutuel racetrack racino, located 131 miles west of Des Moines.
Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf located 54 miles northwest of Cedar Rapids.
Isle of Capri Casino Waterloo located 30 miles west of Des Moines.
Lakeside Hotel Casino in Osceola located 48 miles south of Des Moines.
Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, a pari-mutuel racetrack racino, in Altoona located 11 miles west of Des Moines.
Q Casino, a pari-mutuel racetrack racino, in Dubuque located 73 miles north of Davenport.
Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport.
Riverside Casino and Golf Resort located 39 miles south of Cedar Rapids.
Wild Rose Casino – Jefferson located 65 miles northwest of Des Moines.
Wild Rose Casino and Resort Clinton located 37 miles northeast of Davenport near the Illinois border.
Wild Rose Casino and Resort Emmetsburg located 165 miles northwest of Des Moines.

Tribal Casinos in Iowa

The three tribal casinos in Iowa are:

Blackbird Bend Casino in Onawa located 35 miles southeast of Sioux City near the Nebraska border.
Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel in Tama located 64 miles northeast of Des Moines.
WinnaVegas Casino Resort in Sloan located 27 miles south of Sioux City near the Nebraska border.

How To Win Slot Machine Jackpot

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Iowa slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Iowa is:

North: Minnesota Slots
East: Wisconsin Slots and Illinois Slots
South: Missouri Slots
West: Nebraska Slots and South Dakota Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Iowa.

Our Iowa Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Iowa? If so, join our new Iowa slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Iowa. Join us!

Payout Returns in Iowa

No payout return statistics are available from Iowa’s tribal casinos. However, both minimum and maximum theoretical payout limits exist. These limits are 80% and 99%, respectively, over the expected lifetime of the device.

No legal limits exist for theoretical payout returns on slot machines for Iowa’s commercial casinos. However, the IRGC makes return statistics available at Casino Payback Percentages. This one-page PDF document provides an average payout return for each casino for the last three months.

For the last three months ending in November 2019, the highest return went to Prairie Meadows at 91.8%. This casino’s player’s win percentage was a full point higher than the next casino return. Lakeside Casino had the lowest player’s win percentage at 89.0%.

The IRGC also makes return statistics for commercial casinos available at Gaming Revenue Reports. Here, monthly hold percentages are available by both casino and slot machine denomination as Slot Revenue Percentage. Remember, convert this casino hold% to player win% by subtracting it from 100%.

Summary of Iowa Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Iowa slot machine casino gambling consists of 23 commercial and tribal casinos including pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines.

Slot Machine Jackpots Winners

Theoretical payout limits are 80% and 99% at the four tribal casinos, but no theoretical limits exist for the commercial casinos. However, monthly payout return statistics are available for each commercial casino and slot machine denomination.

Annual Progress in Iowa Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel fell from the second-largest casino in Iowa to the fourth-largest. Both the Horseshoe and Ameristar casinos in Council Bluffs have surpassed Meskwaki Bingo.

Jewelgol