South Dakota Sports Betting

At the start of 2019, the State Legislature introduced Senate Joint Resolution 2, a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize sports betting. The legislation passed the Senate State Affairs Committee in early February, and was then passed by the full Senate chamber a few weeks later.

In November 2020, South Dakota voters approved a referendum on sports betting. In September 2021, four casinos in the city of Deadwood began taking retail sports bets. Sports bettors must wager on-premise at Deadwood casinos.

In early 2022, a ballot proposal to expand sports betting to statewide mobile died in the House after the Senate narrowly approved SJR 502. Per a federal law, any gaming authorized in Deadwood must also be allowed at on-reservation tribal casinos, due to tribal gaming compacts. South Dakota law prohibits wagering on games involving in-state college teams and universities, and college player prop bets are also prohibited. The current retail sportsbook tax rate is 9% on adjusted gross revenue. Two Deadwood casinos — Tin Lizzie Gaming Resort and Cadillac Jack's Gaming Resort — operate BetMGM-branded sportsbooks, and on-property mobile wagering is permitted within the physical premises of licensed Deadwood casinos. As of mid-2026, statewide mobile betting is not legal.

In February 2026, the South Dakota Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 504 (SJR 504) by a 23-10 vote. Introduced by Sen. Casey Crabtree (R-Madison), SJR 504 would have placed a constitutional amendment on the November 2026 general election ballot authorizing statewide mobile sports betting linked to licensed Deadwood casinos, with 90% of all mobile sports wagering tax revenue dedicated to property tax relief. On March 4, 2026, the House Committee on State Affairs voted 11-2 to kill the resolution, preventing it from advancing to the full House and ending any prospect of a November 2026 ballot measure. South Dakota remains a Deadwood-only, retail-only sports betting state, while neighboring Iowa and Wyoming permit statewide mobile wagering.