South Dakota Sportsbooks
The first South Dakota sportsbooks opened in September 2021. Legal sports betting in South Dakota was created through a November 2020 constitutional referendum. The regulations were passed under SB44 by the South Dakota Legislature and signed into law by Governor Kristi Noem in March 2021.
South Dakota voters thought they passed statewide online sports betting. However, the constitutional amendment did not explicitly state that. Governor Noem vowed to veto any bill that included mobile and online sportsbooks. The legislature only passed retail betting in Deadwood, which includes tribal casinos under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Attempts to add mobile betting in future years, including through another constitutional referendum, failed to pass the legislature.
- Two states that border South Dakota offer statewide online sports betting: Iowa and Wyoming.
- The South Dakota casino bet limit is $1000 and applies to sports betting.
- There are currently 11 sportsbooks in South Dakota. Eight locations in Deadwood and the other three are at tribal casinos.
- Sports betting in South Dakota is available to players who are at least 21 years old and mobile betting is permitted on-premises only.
Approved Sports Bets in South Dakota
All forms of sports betting require approval from the South Dakota Commission on Gaming. The approved sports are baseball, basketball, fighting, football, golf, hockey, Olympic games, racing, rodeo, rugby, soccer, and tennis. This includes all major professional leagues like MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL. It also includes major NCAA sports. However, bets may not be accepted on colleges located in South Dakota.
Futures bets are only allowed when the entire field is known. For example, NCAA basketball tournament futures are not permitted until after the teams are posted.
South Dakota Sportsbook Locations
Deadwood is home to seven retail sportsbooks. These range from destination sports lounges with ticket counters to kiosks with a few televisions at the bar.
Bet Bodega
BetBodega offers a sportsbook ticket counter and kiosk at the Buffalo-Bodega Complex on Main Street. It is powered by Internet Sports International. The sportsbook lounge has 12 55” televisions.
BetKota
BetKota is the only South Dakota-owned sportsbook. It is located at the Midnight Star on Main Street. A ticket counter is available Thursday through Monday. A kiosk is available every hour the casino is open.
Winning tickets may be cashed at the casino cage when the ticket counter is closed. However, the casino closes during the overnight hours every day.
Cadillac Jack’s
Cadillac Jack’s, located on US 85 on the south side of Deadwood, is one of the premier Deadwood casinos. It partnered with BetMGM for its sports betting operations. It is the largest sportsbook operator in the Deadwood market.
Cadillac Jack’s built a BetMGM sports lounge. It features table and bar seating. There are 15 televisions in the BetMGM sportsbook. Bets are accepted on kiosks and at the counter.
Deadwood Mountain Grand
Deadwood Mountain Grand is home to Dale’s Sportsbook. It is operated by IGT. Dale’s Sportsbook offers ticket counters six days a week. Betting kiosks are open 24 hours a day. The viewing area has a bar and two walls of televisions.
Gold Dust and 777
Gold Dust and 777 are related casinos across Main Street from each other. Both offer kiosks for sports betting. The Gold Dust has 48 big-screen TVs available in its bar area for viewing. There are 16 at the 777 Casino. Internet Sports International operates the kiosks.
The Lodge at Deadwood
BetLodge is the sportsbook at The Lodge at Deadwood. The casino is located at the base of Mt Roosevelt overlooking Deadwood off US 85 South. BetLodge has 47 luxury chairs and 33 bartop ones that are surrounded by walls of televisions.
BetLodge offers a full-service counter that is open daily. There are kiosks available 24 hours a day.
Tin Lizzie
Located on Main Street in Deadwood, Tin Lizzie has the same sportsbook operator as Cadillac Jack’s. Both partnered with BetMGM. The BetMGM sportsbook viewing area is connected to Paddy O’Neill’s. Food and beverages are served by that restaurant in the sportsbook, which offers a 40-foot wall of TVs.
The BetMGM sportsbook offers two ways to place wagers. The counter is open daily. There are kiosks in the sportsbook and on the casino floor in the table game pit. Kiosks are available for betting 24 hours a day. Tickets may be redeemed on kiosks and at the casino cage when the sportsbook window is closed.
South Dakota Sports Betting Troubles
The launch of sports betting in South Dakota was not smooth. Two operators were fined for writing tickets above the $1000 max bet permitted under South Dakota law in the first few months. Internet Sports International accepted a $1550 bet on an NFL game. BetMGM violated this law three separate times. IGT was fined for accepting World Series futures bets that were not permitted under state law.
Mustang Sally’s was fined in 2022 for accepting futures bets that were not permitted as the NCAA basketball tournament field had not been set. Around the same time, Gold Dust paid a fine for writing tickets on a game involving an in-state college.
Mustang Sally’s lost all its gaming licenses in 2022 after 34 years of operating as a casino in Deadwood. The owner and employees were accused of making proxy bets and extending credit for wagers made on its kiosks on the property. The company was fined $25,000 and had its gaming licenses revoked.
The company continues to operate its restaurant. Its 30 machines were removed in the fall of 2022.
South Dakota Tribal Sportsbooks
Three South Dakota tribal casinos operate sportsbooks. There are two on the east side of the state. These are located at the Dakota Connection Casino in Sisseton and Dakota Sioux Casino in Watertown. Both are operated by the Dakota Sioux Nation Sportsbook.
Prairie Wind Casino, operated by the Lakota Sioux Tribe, has sports betting kiosks. These are managed by Internet Sports International. Prairie Wind Casino is in the southeastern part of South Dakota.
Deadwood Sports Betting FAQ
How old must I be to bet on sports in South Dakota?
The minimum age to bet on sports in South Dakota is 21.
Are online sportsbooks legal in South Dakota?
Online sportsbooks are not legal in South Dakota. The only places to make a legal sports bet are in Deadwood and at tribal casinos.
Is DraftKings available in South Dakota?
DraftKings daily fantasy sports contests are legal in South Dakota. However, DraftKings does not operate a Deadwood sportsbook.
Is FanDuel available in South Dakota?
FanDuel operates daily fantasy sports contests in South Dakota. It does not have a sportsbook partner in the state.
Is BetMGM available in South Dakota?
BetMGM operates the sportsbooks at Cadilac Jack’s and Tin Lizzie in Deadwood.
Which Deadwood sportsbook is the largest?
BetLodge at The Lodge at Deadwood is the largest in town. It has 80 seats.
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