Iowa Moving to Legalize Fantasy Sports Gambling

The state is one of only five that outlaw betting on fantasy sports

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Rick Osentoski / AP

Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn looks downfield during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013.

Fantasy sports leagues in Iowa may soon get a little more heated with the state set to legalize gambling in fantasy sports leagues.

Bills are moving through the state House and Senate this week to lift the ban on prizes associated with fantasy leagues, the Washington Post reports. Iowa is one of only five states (along with Arizona, Louisiana, Montana and Vermont) that outlaw the practice. Maryland passed a similar bill exempting fantasy sports from gambling laws in 2012.

Roughly 10 percent of the U.S. population played fantasy sports in 2012, and the same proportion holds true for Iowans as well.

[Washington Post]