A first look at the popularity of sports betting in Iowa was released recently by gaming authorities.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission released sports wagering revenue statistics for August last week. They covered the handle, payout and net receipts for sports wagers at the 13 casinos regulated by the state agency.

Three Council Bluffs casinos received $2,005,471.85 in wagers between Aug. 15 and the end of the month, the commission said.

Most sports wagers were made at Ameristar Casino, which had a total of $1,364,722.80 in bets for net receipts worth $480,650.41.

Harrah’s Casino had $199,476 in bets and had net receipts worth $89,652.53. Horseshoe Casino had $441,273.05 in bets and net receipts worth $192,776.77.

Prairie Meadows Casino in Altoona saw the largest handle, with more than $3.4 million in wagers.

Sports betting is available to residents of other states, but bets must be placed in Iowa – even if using a mobile app. Iowa’s rules prohibit wagering on the performance of individual athletes that involve Iowa college athletics or Olympic athletes who are minors.