South Dakota Race Wagering

South Dakota permits pari-mutuel wagering on horse and greyhound racing. Betting is available both ontrack and offtrack. Simulcast wagering is available year-round from out-of-state tracks. Live horse racing is offered at a few meets at the Stanley County Fairgrounds in Ft. Pierre and the Brown County Fairgrounds in Aberdeen each year. The last greyhound track, Sodrac Greyhound Park, closed in 1994; the last horse racetrack, Park Jefferson, closed in 1982. While live greyhound racing is legal, only simulcast is currently available. Offtrack wagering was first offered in 1990.

The South Dakota Commission on Gaming (SDCG) regulates pari-mutuel wagering in the state. The agency's operations are entirely supported from a portion of license fees and racing handle, based on a schedule prescribed by law. No state tax revenues are used in the regulation or operation of pari-mutuel racing. The SDCG is required by law to give money received from pari-mutuel wagering back to the racing industry.

In 2005, a bill introduced in the state Senate, SB95, authorized account wagering and amended the gaming laws to include the licensing and regulation of multi-jurisdictional totalizator hubs and the employees of those facilities by the SDCG. The Governor signed the bill into law on 22 March 2005.