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Online Sports Betting in
South Dakota
Sports betting is legal in the city of Deadwood, but not yet operational
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In-person sports betting on its way in 2021
Legal sports betting in South Dakota was approved in November 2020 and set to launch in September of 2021
Senate Bill 44 was signed into law by Governor Kristi Noem in March 2021. The bill restricts 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.
What sports betting apps are available in South Dakota?
Since sports betting is effectively only available in person, and only in Deadwood, you can’t bet on sports from home, on an app (like in Indiana or New Jersey).
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 tried to circumnavigate the rule by having online sports betting servers located in Deadwood while the apps themselves can be accessed state-wide. But, bills presented in the state legislature to do that died, leaving retail sportsbooks only.
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.
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South Dakota sports betting FAQs
Can you bet on college sports teams in South Dakota?
Yes, betting on college sports teams in South Dakota is legal as long as it is not on in-state schools.
Who regulates sports betting In South Dakota?
The South Dakota Commission on Gaming will regulate sports betting per state law.
Will I have to pay taxes on the money I win?
Yes. As in most states, sports betting is considered gambling and you’ll have to pay taxes on the money you win while betting sports.
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 outright bans online sportsbooks. It is the only bill signed into law in 2021. Other bills have come up, but all bills that have tried to legalize online sports betting or sportsbooks outside of Deadwood have died in committee.