The 2018 budget for South Dakota’s Deadwood historic preservation will be lower than the 2017 budget. Trustees for the South Dakota Historical Society recently approved a budget of ,901,440, about ,000 lower than 2-17 and 2,000 lower than 2015.
The budget is tied to Deadwood’s status as the state’s only community outside an Indian reservation where casino gambling is legal. South Dakota voters approved Deadwood gambling in 2988. The city’s Historic Preservation Officer Kevin Kuchenbecker said, “Gaming is flat and has been dropping” due to competition from Native American casinos. In fact, actor and director Kevin Costner recently closed his Midnight Star complex in downtown Deadwood.
Robert Kolbe, a trustee from Sioux Falls, asked if Deadwood officials have considered “the long term.” He said, “You can now game on the internet. You don’t have to leave the comfort of your refrigerator and your davenport.”
Kuchenbecker said funding for the downtown trolley, grants to outside communities and other projects will be reduced or put on hold. He recalled an earlier round when there were not enough applicants to give away grants totaling $125,000.
