South Dakota Sports Betting: Deadwood Casinos Only

Deadwood voters approved sports wagering as part of the city's limited-gaming package in a 2020 constitutional referendum, and the Legislature codified it at SDCL 42-7B-1: 'Limited card games, slot machines, craps, roulette, keno, and wagering on sporting events are hereby authorized, and may be operated, conducted, and maintained, within the city limits of the city of Deadwood, South Dakota, subject to the provisions of this chapter.' No gaming may operate under the chapter until the South Dakota Commission on Gaming issues the applicable license (SDCL 42-7B-2).

The law is deliberately narrow. SDCL 42-7B-79 requires that 'any sports wagering may only be conducted on the premises of a licensed gaming establishment as approved by the commission within the city of Deadwood,' and licensees must run commission-approved equipment verifying each wager originates on that physical floor. 'Advance deposit sports wagering' lets a patron fund an account online (SDCL 42-7B-77, 42-7B-78), but the balance can only pay for bets placed in person at a licensed Deadwood establishment. South Dakota has no statewide mobile or remote sportsbook. SDCL 42-7B-82 bars licensees from taking bets on high school games, minor-league contests, individual collegiate athlete performance, or any game involving a South Dakota college team, and SDCL 42-7B-83 bars athletes, officials, and commission staff with access to nonpublic information from wagering on their own sport. Net proceeds fund the Historic Restoration and Preservation of Deadwood, with 40% of gaming tax revenue to the Tourism Promotion Fund and 10% to Lawrence County (SDCL 42-7B-48).

Lawmakers tried to send statewide mobile betting to voters in 2022, 2023, and 2025, and each attempt died before reaching the ballot. Senate Joint Resolution 504 cleared the Senate in 2026 and is headed to the November 2026 general-election ballot. Until and unless voters approve it, Deadwood's licensed casino floors remain the only legal place in South Dakota to place a sports bet.

Placing or accepting a sports wager outside a licensed Deadwood operator is a Class 2 misdemeanor under SDCL 22-25-1: up to 30 days in a county jail or a $500 fine, or both, under SDCL 22-6-2. The statute exempts only 'gaming within a licensed gaming establishment in the city of Deadwood which is conducted by an operator or route operator that is licensed pursuant to chapter 42-7B'; an unlicensed bookmaker, offshore site, or out-of-state app gets no such shield.