SF 625 Iowa Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

A bill for an act relating to gambling regulation, including enforcement, license fees, tax rates, and the use of associated revenue, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.

SF 625 modifies Iowa's gambling tax revenue allocation. It directs $8 million annually from sports wagering receipts to the public safety equipment fund starting July 1, 2026, for enforcement activities like boat and racetrack inspections. The bill also establishes a gaming enforcement revolving fund to cover direct costs for criminal investigation agents, adjusts regulatory fees based on prior-year unspent funds, and creates an Iowa horse racing fund to distribute tax revenue from simulcast horse races to counties and the commission. These changes affect gambling licensees through fee adjustments and ensure specific tax revenues fund public safety and horse racing operations.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Apr 16, 2025 Last action Apr 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Reprinted · 6 edits
MODERATE
This bill reprints and amends Iowa's gambling regulations, primarily updating tax rates, fee structures, and fund allocations for enforcement activities. The changes clarify how gambling taxes are calculated for different licensees, establish a new Iowa horse racing fund, and adjust funding mechanisms for the gaming enforcement revolving fund. These modifications aim to streamline enforcement funding and ensure proper distribution of gambling-related revenues.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include a new Iowa horse racing fund and modified the applicability of tax rates for different types of gambling licensees, particularly distinguishing between racetrack enclosures and other gambling structures.
FISCAL

Created a new Iowa horse racing fund to receive tax revenue from simulcast horse racing, with funds distributed to support horse racing industry entities in accordance with federal integrity standards.

Revised the gaming enforcement revolving fund to receive remaining wagering tax receipts until a specified amount is reached, then redirecting excess to the department of public safety for enforcement support costs.

REQUIREMENT

Updated tax rates for gambling games, changing from a graduated rate structure to specific percentages based on licensee type: 22% for excursion gambling boats/gambling structures, 24.12% for racetrack enclosures, and 5-10% on adjusted gross receipts.

Struck several regulatory fee paragraphs and subsections from existing code sections, simplifying the fee structure and removing redundant provisions.

TIMELINE

Established effective dates for new funding provisions, with most changes applying to fiscal years beginning July 1, 2026, and thereafter.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified regulatory fee calculations to differentiate between racetracks with and without table games licenses, adjusting the number of special agents assigned for fee determination purposes.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 17, 2025

How they voted

480
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 51
Apr 17, 2025
D Democratic16
15 Yea 1
93% Yea
R Republican35
33 Yea 2
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
9
Key actions
2
Committee
1
Amendments
1
Apr 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 47, nays 0.
upper
Apr 17, 2025
Introduced
Amendment S-3108 filed, adopted.
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report, approving bill.
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Introduced
Introduced, placed on Appropriations calendar.
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.