South Dakota Sports Betting Bill, Officially Signed Into Law

• South Dakota legalized sports betting at Deadwood locations when Governor Kristi Noem officially signed and passed Senate Bill 44.

DEADWOOD, S.D. – Residents and visitors to the great state of South Dakota will now be able to enjoy legal state-sponsored sports betting at Deadwood casino locations in the near future.

On Thursday, March 18, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem signed Senate Bill 44 which officially allows for the sports wagers to be conducted at Deadwoods casinos.

The South Dakota Commission on Gaming met last Wednesday to lay out the rules for the sports betting industry in Deadwood, which will allow for legal sports gambling to occur through designated sports betting windows, kiosks, and mobile apps.

This set of rules is still set as preliminary, with official approval of rules set to be approved at a June 16 meeting.

The expectation is that over 20 sports betting operators will be opening in SD by September 1, the targeted launch date for the industry in SD.

The law passed last week will be officially enacted on July 1, 2021, with the official set of rules coming at a later date.

The current status for sports betting in South Dakota will be limited to locations in the city of Deadwood, which is the defacto gambling hub of the state.

There will be a 9% tax rate on all sports betting industries which is expected to bring in much-needed financial help to the state’s infrastructure.

SD sportsbooks will also have some limitations when it comes to betting on college sports. There will be no college prop bets allowed, and there will be not betting allowed on any South Dakota-based college teams.

There will also be no mobile sports betting apps allowed yet to South Dakota. There will be apps available at the physical locations, but they will not be able to be used off the sportsbook site.

This is a small price to pay for a major win for sports betting fans in South Dakota, as the state heads into a new area of gambling freedom.