Best Betting Sites in South Dakota — Lack of Legal Options
Looking for the best betting sites South Dakota has to offer? Despite sports betting being available at retail locations since early 2021 in the state, there are currently no legal South Dakota sports betting sites. This means that you will need to visit one of the state’s four casinos in the city of Deadwood to place legal wagers on your favorite sports.
As we are unable to recommend any South Dakota betting sites on this page, we have instead covered the current laws, the future outlook for a mobile betting market, and other legal gambling options. We only recommend bookmakers licensed locally on this page, and you will learn why by reading.
Legal Gambling Options for South Dakota Residents
Although there is no South Dakota online sports betting or online casino activity permitted, SD is a gambling-friendly state. Locals are able to enjoy slots and table games at both tribal and commercial casinos, as well as poker, the lottery, DFS, and poker. Simulcast wagering on horse races and retail sports betting are also permitted.
Daily Fantasy Sports in South Dakota
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) is a popular online activity that requires participants to draft lineups of players from sports leagues to create a fantasy team. Participants pay a small entry fee and earn points based on the real-life performance of their drafted players. At the end of each round, the top-scoring participants win cash prizes.
While some states classify this as a game of skill and others a chance-based gambling activity, South Dakota simply tolerates these activities with no laws addressing them. It is, therefore, possible to play DFS without breaking the law. Sites like DraftKings, accept SD players.
Don’t be surprised if DraftKings also provides one of the best betting sites in South Dakota in the future.
Offshore Betting Sites — Don’t Get Scammed!
Some of our readers may be tempted to sign up to bookmakers that claim to be legal South Dakota betting sites, but we assure you that these offshore betting sites are not trustworthy. Sites such as Bovada, BetOnline, and MyBookie have not been licensed in the USA, meaning that they follow no local regulations.
Licensing is an important process that guarantees that sites offer fair odds, have encrypted software to protect users, follow responsible gambling protocols, and are financially viable to pay out all winnings. Without any local audits, offshore sites can scam players and face no legal repercussions, so we suggest you avoid them at all costs.
Land-Based Casinos
Land-based casino gambling is completely legal in South Dakota, though your access to them may be limited. For instance, the only commercial casinos are based in the historical town of Deadwood. You can also visit one of the 11 tribal casinos based on Native American reservations.
You are able to enjoy slot machines, table games, poker, and sports betting at these locations, some of which have hotel accommodations and live entertainment. Several Deadwood casinos also offer mobile betting through apps while onsite, though this will be blocked once you leave the premises.
Horse Race Betting
Although there are no race tracks in South Dakota, you are able to wager on horse races at the state’s commercial and tribal casinos. You can do this through simulcasting systems that stream US and other international races as you bet on them. These may be placed in the South Dakota sportsbook lounges of the land-based casinos.
Poker Rooms
There are roughly 20 poker tables available in six different gaming establishments across South Dakota. The most popular of these poker rooms is located at the Silverado Franklin in Deadwood. This is the home to the South Dakota State Poker Championship and the Deadwood Shootout Poker Tournament.
Both tournaments offer a guaranteed prize package of $100,000, making this a worthy competition for professional players across the country. At the Silverado Franklin and other venues, you can enjoy games such as No-Limit Texas Hold’em and Omaha Stud, whether in a single cash game or tournament.
Nearby States with Legal Online Sports Betting
Just because South Dakota online sports betting isn’t available, it doesn’t mean that you have no options to enjoy betting while on the go. Keen punters who live near the border of Wyoming or Iowa may find it more convenient to cross the border to place mobile wagers than travel to a SD casino. This, of course, is completely legal.
These states and the others listed below have an online betting market with several great options, including DraftKings, BetMGM, and FanDuel. You can wager on a variety of sporting events and leagues in moments, and even experience live betting. However, remember that this will only be available and legal when you’re in the regulated mobile betting state.
Best Betting Sites in South Dakota — The Situation Might Change
We would love to be able to recommend the best betting sites South Dakota has to offer, but this, unfortunately, is not yet possible. Instead, we can make an educated guess on what a potential market could look like. For starters, you would be able to wager on major US sports leagues such as the NFL and the Super Bowl.
There are currently no restrictions on collegiate division sports betting, meaning that you could wager on the Jackrabbits and Coyotes while on the go. Live betting would also be available, with top operators providing high-quality platforms and instant payouts. These bookies would all be legal and licensed, ensuring a fair and safe online gambling experience.
It’s likely that the online market would be regulated by the South Dakota Commission on Gaming, which is the current licensing body for casino gambling and sports betting in Deadwood. However, it’s also possible that an entirely new regulator would be established to oversee the market, enforce player safety, enhance resources for problem gamblers, and mandate operator taxation.
South Dakota Gambling Laws
South Dakota’s gambling laws are covered by its state criminal code. It outlines all of the legal activities and penalties for illegal gambling. As it is a part of the state constitution, any amendments must be approved through a voter referendum, as was done in 2020 when retail sports betting was legalized.
Some of the areas that the criminal code covers are the legality of horse race simulcast betting, the allowance of casino gambling at the Deadwood casinos, retail sports betting, and charitable gambling. The tribal casinos operate under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in conjunction with state compacts.
In order for South Dakota betting sites to be legalized, another referendum would need to be held. This is quite common for US states with laws that rule that the constitution can only be changed via referendum. However, states such as New Jersey can create these laws through the House and Senate.
| Betting Type | Law |
|---|---|
| Sports Betting | Legal |
| Online Sports Betting | Not Legal |
| Land-based Casino | Legal |
| Online Casino | Not Legal |
| Poker | Legal |
| Racetrack Betting | Legal |
| South Dakota Gambling Age | 21+ for Casinos, Sports Betting, and Video Lottery, 18+ for Lotto and DFS. |
There are several minimum gambling ages depending on the activity in question. Players must be at least 21 years of age for gambling in Deadwood’s casinos and at the tribal casinos. This includes sports betting and video lottery. Wagering on simulcast races and participation in the state lottery requires a minimum of 18 years of age.
It is likely that a legal online sports betting market in South Dakota would have a minimum gambling age of 21 years old. Betting sites utilize strong ID verification technology to prevent minors from creating an account and to guarantee that players pay their fair share of taxes on winnings. If you’d like to know more, check out our guide to online betting in the US.
History of Gambling in South Dakota
South Dakota has a long history of gambling that has been recorded as a thing of legend. It all dates back to the gold-rush era of the late 1800s when settlers and outlaws arrived at the frontier town of Deadwood. Gambling thrived in the town until the 1940s despite gambling being officially outlawed in 1905.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that the state began to open up to gambling prospects again. The first step was to create the state lottery in 1986. This was so popular that South Dakota created the first video lottery in the country in 1989. This same year, a voter referendum passed to approve casino gambling in Deadwood.
With slots and table games now allowed, Deadwood’s revitalization was rapid. Shortly after, the first tribal casinos began to sprout up over the state, and simulcast wagering was officially legalized in 1991. It wouldn’t be until 2020 when another voter referendum was passed to authorize sports betting at the state’s casinos.
The first sportsbooks opened in September 2021, and shortly after efforts began to introduce mobile betting to SD. A bill introduced to authorize mobile betting passed the Senate in February 2022, though it was killed in the House shortly after. For now, mobile betting through gambling websites in South Dakota is only allowed on licensed casino premises.
The Future of Sports Betting in South Dakota
In February 2022, lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would give voters a chance to decide to launch mobile sports betting. This was shut down by the House State Affairs Committee. While this may indicate a hopeless case, most of South Dakota’s gambling progress required several legislative rounds in order to progress to referendum.
It’s likely that this will be the case for mobile betting too. Many suggest that the revenues generated from land-based betting are lacking, and are pointing to neighbor state Wyoming, which allows mobile betting. For example, SD’s first four months generated roughly $22,000 in state taxes off $2.7 million in bets.
The same period generated $112,000 in taxes for Wyoming of $40.3 million in mobile bets. This is despite Wyoming’s population being two-thirds the size of South Dakota’s. For now, DS bettors will need to travel to legal sports betting states such as Wyoming to place these mobile wagers. We’ll bring you all the info on the best betting sites in South Dakota if and when they arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you looking for answers to your questions about South Dakota’s sports betting laws and the future of the industry? If so, keep reading. In the following section, we’ve provided some answers to the most common queries about the SD sports betting market, from the legality of online betting to a discussion on offshore betting.
⚖️ Are online gambling and sports betting legal in South Dakota?
For the time being, there are no legal SD online gambling options. Instead, you will need to gamble in person at the state’s land-based casinos. This includes sports betting. You will, however, be able to download approved betting apps on location at some Deadwood casinos, though these will be location restricted.
🛡️ What is the legal gambling age in South Dakota?
The SD gambling laws refer to several minimum gambling ages depending on what activity is played. Casino gambling and sports betting have a minimum gambling age of 21 years old. Lottery, DFS, and simulcast wagering have a minimum gambling age of 18 years old.
🚨 Are offshore betting sites like MyBookie and Bovada legal and safe?
While offshore betting sites are not technically illegal, they are also not legal. These operators have not been licensed by a US regulator, which means that there is no way to ensure that they’re safe. Licensed sites have been audited for security, fairness, ethics, and financial stability. If a bookie has not been licensed, it cannot be trusted.
🔎 Can I play at another state’s legal online sportsbook if I am based in South Dakota?
No, you will need to travel to legal neighbor states to place a wager online. Fortunately, South Dakota is bordered by Iowa and Wyoming, two states that have high-quality mobile gambling options. For those near the border, it is worthwhile crossing state lines to place bets on mobile apps. However, the app will be geo-blocked once you return to SD.