The South Dakota Commission on Gaming recently announced a plan to allow sports wagers to be placed on mobile apps inside Deadwood casinos. SCCG Executive Secretary Susan Christian said, “It’s not going to be a fast plan. Everybody just needs to be patient.”
Sports betting has been legal in the state for just over six months. At the moment, a few Deadwood casinos are the only places in the state that offer sports betting, and only on kiosks or betting stations located throughout their facilities. The new plan would allow mobile sports betting apps to take bets as long as they are made inside casino properties. Software would be installed to detect bets made from outside the casinos.
In its first four months, from September through December, South Dakota sports betting operators took in $2.7 million in sports bets. In comparison, neighboring Wyoming, which allows statewide online betting, had handle of $40.3 million with 300,000 fewer residents. In January, a record $835,000 was wagered on sports at the casinos, with $493,000 bet on the National Football League playoffs and $148,000 on National Collegiate Basketball Association Men’s Basketball Tournament games.
Mike Rodman, Deadwood Gaming Association executive director, said,
“Sports wagering continues to gain momentum and grow in Deadwood.” He said February could be a record-breaking month due to the Super Bowl. Also, the NCAA has filled the state’s casinos with people betting on college basketball. “This is typically a slower time of the year for us. This opportunity for sports wagering has really been a shot in the arm for Deadwood. We’re excited to see what it brings,” Rodman said.
Sports wagering opponents include Governor Kristi Noem and tribal operators of 12 Native American casinos in the state.
