A new compact between the state and the Oglala Sioux tribe means South Dakota will have one more casino. The tribe announced last week it would open a new casino on the northern border of its Pine Ridge reservation. Currently the tribe operates the Prairie Wind Casino on the western side of the reservation, and the East Wind Casino on the eastern side.
The new compact gives the tribe the right to offer 750 slot machines, up from the 250 in the previous agreement. The new compact was considered last week by the South Dakota Gaming Commission. If it’s approved at the state level, it will be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for a decision. An extension to the existing compact expires on December 31.
Other South Dakota tribes have also recently gotten permission to add new slots machines. The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate compact negotiated in 2012 tripled the tribe’s slots to 750. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe saw its slots double to 500 under its 2011 compact.
