Prairie Meadows is getting sidelined from the profits linked with new customers who place sports bets, Garrick Mallory, an assistant director for the casino, told Axios.

• It's in part due to a provision in a 2019 Iowa law that states sports betting this year does not require in-person sign-ups.

Why it matters: Out-of-state gaming operators get a larger share of the revenue, which is siphoned from the nonprofit Altoona casino, Mallory said.

• Local governments and dozens of charities depend on Prairie Meadows' revenue for everything, from making debt payments on Wells Fargo Arena to expanding Blank Children’s Hospital programs.

State of play: Sports betting began in Iowa two years ago.

• Prior to Jan. 1, betters were required to activate their accounts in person at a casino like Prairie Meadows that had an agreement with a sportsbook operator.

What's happening: New accounts can now be opened remotely and — unless a user enters a promo code — their hometown casino may not get credited to share the profits, Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission director Brian Ohorilko told Axios.

• Gaming taxes are still paid, he said.

The bottom line: Prairie Meadows doesn't know how much money it's losing because there's no way to track how many new users would have signed up through its casino, Mallory said.

• The casino recommends entering the promo code "PMRF" if you're using a sportsbook app.

Of note: Caesars Sportsbook, the operator of Prairie Meadows' sports bets, did not respond to our multiple requests for comment last week.

Statewide sports betting increased by more than 225% in the fiscal year that ended June 30 as compared to the previous year.

• Prairie Meadows' increased by 56% during that same period.

It's the middle of the year, but staff shortages are still hampering Iowa schools from performing their daily operations at 100%.

• And this year's politicized debates about classrooms aren't helping with morale and retaining workers, said Mike Beranek, president of the Iowa State Education Association.

Why it matters: Staff shortages, especially in classrooms, hurt student learning. Teachers and teacher aides don't have time for individualized lesson plans and they're managing larger class sizes.

State of play: Iowa's job board for schools shows nearly 300 open positions in the Des Moines metro, ranging from high school teachers to custodial staff.

• Retirements ticked up in 2020 due to the pandemic. But there's also been a decline in people applying for jobs, compounding staffing issues, Beranek said.
• Des Moines Public Schools is offering sign-on bonuses of up to $5,000 for some positions.

Between the lines: Education workers tend to be women, who have recently left the workforce in droves. They are also older, so they may be more concerned about contracting COVID-19, writes Axios' Courtenay Brown.

What to watch: Morale is at an all-time low as classrooms become the center of divisive political debates, Beranek said. He wouldn't be surprised if there was another exodus of workers at the end of the school year.

• Mask and vaccine mandates could result in workers leaving. A DMPS teacher was fired this month for violating the district's mask mandate, but otherwise, employee animosity towards it has been minimal thus far, per The Register.

📣 Shoutout: Have staff shortages at your child's school caused any changes for this year? Hit reply and let us know.

🚨 A shooting in the Court Avenue area injured three people early Sunday morning. (KCCI)

🚧 Construction on Ingersoll Avenue is annoying, but for the area's business owners, it's resulting in lost revenue. (WHO-13)

🏈 Viral moment: A Purdue lineman poured a can of Bud Light over his face mid-game against the Hawkeyes. They won 24-7. (Twitter)

🚜 Iowa farmers were already struggling to find parts for broken equipment. They fear the Deere strike will amplify that. (Des Moines Register 🔒)

🌽 Thanks for the ear pun, Jessie Zaruba of Grimes.

Almost $34.5 million was generated by Des Moines' local option sales tax in the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to a city report that will be presented during a public meeting this morning.

• It's roughly $500,000 more than the city had budgeted, but below the first year's collection of $38.1 million.

Why it matters: Half the money collected from sales tax goes to property tax relief.

• It's helped get the largest street repair effort in DSM's history underway and accelerated flood prevention projects.

State of play: The one-cent sales tax began in July of 2019, after 70% of voters approved it.

• About a third of the revenue is generated by visitors, according to city estimates.
• Groceries, gas and prescription drugs are excluded from the tax.

Pets are getting in on the Halloween festivities and they're wearing everything from Baby Yoda to "Squid Game"-inspired costumes.

• Axios Des Moines reader Jeff Miller dressed up his pups in these Robin and Superman costumes and shared it with us.

What is your pet wearing for Halloween? Share your cutest (or scariest) pics and we'll publish them!