Maltese iGaming solutions developer Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) Incorporated has announced the signing of an agreement that is to see it bring sportsbetting to western Iowa’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sioux City.

Headquartered in the Valetta suburb of St Julian’s, the innovator used an official Friday press release to explain that the deal with American casino operator Hard Rock International will initially involve the launch of an over-the-counter sportsbook inside the Woodbury County venue before the subsequent premiere of an online and mobile counterpart service.

PASPA possibilities:

GiG Incorporated detailed that Iowa is one of twelve states to have legalized sportsbetting in the wake of last year’s ruling from the United States Supreme Court that invalidated the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). This piece of legislation had largely been responsible for previously limiting sportsbooks to casinos in Nevada but its revocation prompted the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission to give the Midwestern state’s 19 casinos permission to provide retail and online sportsbetting services to anyone over the age of 21.

Strengthening standing:

Richard Brown, Acting Chief Executive Officer for GiG Incorporated, used the press release to state that his firm already offers sportsbetting services to clients in New Jersey and now intends to supply the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sioux City with ‘a similar seamless and engaging betting experience’. He declared that the Iowa venue will be provided with ‘an omni-channel sportsbook solution’ while his company’s American platform is to benefit by ‘adding more scale to its network and revenues’.

Read a statement from Brown…

“The agreement is both a testament to our know-how and prowess to lead a land-based casino into the digital world of betting and a strong validation of our commercial and product delivery capabilities. We are looking forward to growing with our partner long term. We have mutual ambitions to entertain consumers with a safe and exciting first-class sportsbetting experience.”

Significant promise:

Iowa is home to some 3.2 million people while Kresimir Spajic, Online Gaming Senior Vice-President for Hard Rock International, proclaimed that the annual value of the state’s sportsbetting market could eventually reach approximately $160 million and be further boosted by punters from neighboring states such as Minnesota and Nebraska.

Spajic’s statement read…

“We’re excited to extend our partnership with GiG Incorporated to support sportsbetting in Iowa and further grow our sportsbook portfolio.”