Legal sports betting In South Dakota is now officially a reality, thanks to local voters showing up to the polls and passing it.
SJR501 was passed by the state legislature in March of 2020. The bill went on the ballot as Amendment B and simply asked voters if they want to allow Deadwood casinos to be able to provide sports betting.
There aren’t any rules built into the ballot measure.
The tax rate, types of games available for betting, and the issue of mobile sports betting in South Dakota will all have to be discussed and figured out in the 2021 legislative session.
So far there has been a bill introduced in the state legislature. It is Senate Bill 44 and it would restrict sports betting to the town of Deadwood, effectively killing any hopes for online sportsbooks in the Mount Rushmore State.
With voters passing this measure, the 11 tribal casinos located across the state will also be able to open sportsbooks by default. Tribal casinos can offer anything Deadwood casinos can by law.
But, when can sports bettors begin putting action on sports, and which casinos will open sportsbooks? Answers should come in 2021.
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Where Can You Bet On Sports In South Dakota?
Now that Amendment B was approved by voters, South Dakota sportsbooks will be permitted inside casinos at Deadwood and at the 11 tribal casinos in the state.
Those tribal casinos could be:
- Dakota Connection Casino and Travel Center (Sisseton, SD)
- Dakota Sioux Casino (Watertown, SD)
- East Wind Casino (Martin, SD)
- Fort Randall Casino (Pickstown, SD)
- Golden Buffalo Casino & Resort (Lower Brule, SD)
- Grand River Casino and Resort (Mobridge, SD)
- Lode Star Casino (Fort Thompson, SD)
- Prairie Wind Casino & Hotel (Pine Ridge, SD)
- Prairie Wind Casino Dome (Pine Ridge, SD)
- Rosebud Casino (Highway 83 and SD/NE State Line)
- Royal River Casino & Hotel (Flandreau, SD)
- Turtle Creek Crossing Casino (Mission, SD)
- Yankton Sioux Travel Plaza (Lake Andes, SD)
There are a total of 25 casinos in Deadwood alone that would qualify to open sports betting if they choose to apply for licenses.
What Sports Betting Apps Are Available in South Dakota?
Statewide sports betting apps in South Dakota was not something included in the ballot measure.
The ballot measure as explained by the attorney general, “authorizes the Legislature to also include wagering on sporting events as a type of gaming allowed in Deadwood.”
Lawmakers in 2021 could try to circumnavigate the rule by having online sports betting servers located in Deadwood while the apps themselves can be accessed state-wide.
But this is only speculation and mobile betting will likely have a better chance of finding a way to come to fruition if the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hurt retail casinos.
So far there has only been one bill presented to the state legislature and explicitly prohibits online sports betting in South Dakota. More bills can still be presented though and there is no guarantee that Senate Bill 44 will pass in 2021.
South Dakota Sports Betting Timeline
2019
South Dakota sports betting efforts began in 2019 with the introduction of SJR2. The purpose of the bill would’ve done exactly what SJR501 did, which is to put the constitutional amendment up to the state’s voters.
The bill cleared the Senate in February of 2019 by a vote of 18-14. However, the bill wasn’t as well received in the House.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and House Majority Leader Lee Qualm were both very much against the legalization of sports betting in the Mount Rushmore State.
2020
Deja vu hit the South Dakota legislature in 2020 as a group of bipartisan Senate members introduced SJR501 which was essentially the same bill as the year before.
The Senate this time overwhelmingly passed the bill while the House passed it by a single vote.
The difference this time around came from the fact that Iowa had already launched their sports betting industry and was taking S.D. players.
Since the state had time to study other markets and see the amount of money generated by the U.S. sports betting industry, it became clearer to let residents decide if they want the industry to enter the state.
On November 3, 2020, voters narrowly passed Amendment B which effectively legalized sports betting in South Dakota.
2021
In January of 2021, The Committee on Commerce and Energy at the request of the Department of Revenue filed Senate Bill 44. The bill would put the South Dakota Commission on Gaming in charge of regulating and sportsbooks at Deadwood and the qualifying tribal sportsbooks.
The bill would also prohibit betting on minor games, high school games, or games involving in-state colleges or athletes that play at in-state colleges.
Most notably, however, the bill would outright ban online sportsbooks. It is the only bill presented so far but it could be amended before it passes. Other bills could potentially come up later too that would challenge it so not all hope is lost for mobile bettors.
South Dakota Sports Betting FAQs
Can I bet on college sports teams in South Dakota?
Betting on college sports teams in South Dakota has not yet been determined. Those rules will have to be figured out by legislators in the 2021 legislative session.
Who will regulate sports betting In South Dakota?
The regulatory agency in charge of South Dakota sports betting will also have to be figured out by lawmakers in the 2021 legislative session.
Will I Have To Pay Taxes On South Dakota Sports Betting Winnings?
Yes. No matter what the final rules turn out to be, sports betting is gambling and you’ll have to pay taxes on those winnings.