Best South Dakota Gambling Sites

South Dakota has an interesting gambling history that’s
steeped in the legendary Deadwood and Black Hills Gold Rush. This lawless
settlement came to be well known for its gambling halls, gold mines, and
saloons.

The days of the Wild West are long gone. But South Dakota
still includes much of this liberalism in their gambling laws today.

They offer most forms of gambling, including commercial
casinos, lottery games, poker, racing, social gaming, and tribal casinos.

But the Mount Rushmore State is surprisingly harsh on
internet gambling operators.

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Online Gambling and South Dakota Law

Most states don’t have specific language aimed at internet
gambling sites. But South Dakota actually dedicates multiple passages to the
activity – none of them good for gamblers.

This state makes it clear that they don’t want offshore
operators within their boundaries.

But as you’ll find out below, South Dakota’s laws have
provided little deterrence for offshore gaming sites.

Is Online Gambling Legal in South Dakota?

No.

Entitled “Internet Gambling,” Chapter 22-25A of the
criminal code includes several laws. Here’s code 22-25A-1, which is specifically
aimed at offshore websites:

“For the purposes of
this chapter, the term, bet or wager, means to directly or indirectly take,
receive, or accept money or any valuable thing with the understanding or
agreement that the money or valuable thing will be paid or delivered to a person
if the payment or delivery is contingent upon the result of a race, contest, or
game or upon the happening of an event not known to be certain. Bet or wager
does not include the purchase, sale, or trade of securities or commodities under
state or federal law.”

This law outlaws accepting any type of bet, which makes
real money online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks illegal.

Code 22-25A-9 explains that every bet accepted results in
an individual violation:

“Each bet a separate
violation. A violation of § 22-25A-7 or 22-25A-8 occurs if the violation
originates or terminates, or both, in this state. Each individual bet or wager
offered in violation of § 22-25A-7 or from a location or site that violates §
22-25A-8 constitutes a separate violation.”

The penalty for a first offense is a Class 6 felony, and
the penalty for a second offense is a Class 5 felony.

These are stingy laws that should technically scare off any
offshore gaming site. Nevertheless, a wide variety of casino and poker sites
continue operating here.

Why are Online Casinos Operating in South Dakota if They’re Illegal?

Based on South Dakota’s criminal code, gambling sites are
clearly illegal. So why are they still operating here?

The reason is twofold:

• South Dakota has never taken legal action against an offshore operator.
• They don’t have their own regulated online gaming industry.

Either of these two aspects have the potential to keep
gaming sites out. But South Dakota has yet to put legal action behind their
laws.

They aren’t alone in this regard because very few states
have made an effort to prosecute offshore sites.

These companies are located thousands of miles away, and
South Dakota would rather put their resources towards more important matters.

The state has offered some interesting views on the
subject, though. Here are some mixed views from important politicians:

According to the Rapid City Journal, Governor Dennis Daugaard was interested in a 2011 US
Department of Justice opinion that only internet sports betting is illegal. “Are
we thinking about online gaming?” asked Daugaard’s spokesman, Tony Venhuizen.
“He’s willing to learn more about that and have that discussion, but he doesnt
have any immediate plans to take on that issue.”

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley was
part of a 2014 letter that asked the US DoJ to reverse their 2011 opinion on the Wire
Act. “The impact of this opinion – which in effect opens the door to the spread
of internet gambling – will have a potentially significant impact on state and
local law enforcement,” the letter read.

Will I Be Arrested for Gambling Online in South Dakota?

Despite half of their gambling criminal code being
dedicated to iGaming, South Dakota makes no mention of player penalties.

Based on this fact and how South Dakota hasn’t arrested
anybody for online gambling, you’re likely safe.

But keep in mind that the state has a broad definition of
gambling that covers most games, players, and operators. Here’s how code 22-25-1
defines gaming:

“Any person who
engages in gambling in any form with cards, dice, or other implements or devices
of any kind wherein anything valuable is wagered upon the outcome, or who keeps
any establishment, place, equipment, or apparatus for such gambling or any
agents or employees for such purpose, or any person who knowingly lets any
establishment, structure, place, equipment, or apparatus for such gambling is
guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.”

We doubt that South Dakota will use this to pursue internet
gamblers if they haven’t done so already. But it’s still good to know the laws.

Are Offshore Gaming Sites Safe?

It depends on the site.

Offshore gaming companies aren’t licensed in the US.
Instead, they’re licensed in jurisdictions like Antigua & Barbuda, Costa Rica,
Curacao, Panama, and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (Montreal, Canada).

While these jurisdictions have licensing requirements, they
don’t have the legal authority to enforce iGaming rules. This means that an
offshore gaming site could close up and avoid repaying player deposits.

The good news, though, is that this doesn’t happen very
often. Most gaming sites serve players well because they want repeat business.

Nevertheless, you should read reviews and visit prospective
sites. When doing so, look for the following points in any quality gaming
website:

• Longevity

The longer a site has been in business, the more likely they are to be reputable.

• Processing Withdrawals

How long does it take an offshore site to process cashouts?

• Customer Service

This is important with any type of business, including online gaming.

• Bonus Terms

Lower bonus wagering requirements allow you to earn your bonuses faster.

• Deposit Options

Make sure the site has a deposit and withdrawal method you can use.

• Game Variety

The more games a site offers, the more entertained you’ll be long term.

Also On This Page

More Gambling Laws in South Dakota

• Casino Games (Legal)
• Charitable Gaming (Legal)
• Lottery (Legal)
• Poker (Legal)
• Racing Betting (Legal)
• Sports Betting (Illegal)
• Bingo (Legal)
• Social Gambling (Legal)

Casinos: Legal

Deadwood is the only place in the state where commercial
casinos are allowed. This is similar to New Jersey, where all casino gambling is
confined to Atlantic City.

One thing that separates Deadwood apart from any other
gaming destination is its casino architecture. The casinos are required to
maintain 1990s architecture to keep the nostalgic look of the town.

Another unique aspect is that Deadwood allows minors on
casino floors. In fact, parents can have children alongside them while gambling.

Deadwood currently features 10 casinos. Most of the casinos
operate from 8am to 12 midnight, while a few stay open 24 / 7.

The city offers most standard casino games, including
blackjack, Caribbean stud, Let It Ride, Texas holdem, three card poker, slot
machines, and video poker. A 2014 voter referendum added craps, keno, and
roulette to this list too.

South Dakota also features 9 tribal casinos.

These establishments are spread throughout reservations on
the state. Some of the available casinos include: Dakota Sioux Casino
(Watertown), Grand Buffalo Casino (Lower Brule), Grand River Casino (Mobridge),
and Lode Star Casino (Fort Thompson).

Dakota Sioux is the largest of these casinos, featuring
over 300 slot machines, a poker room, and several table games.

Charitable Gambling: Legal

Approved and licensed charities are allowed to offer bingo
and specific lottery games. Casino nights and poker are not permitted under
South Dakota’s charity gaming laws.

Lottery: Legal

Established in 1987, the South Dakota Lottery offers a
variety of in state, multi state, and scratch off games.

They also feature over 9,000 video lottery terminals
(VLTs), which offer electronic bingo, blackjack, keno, and poker. The VLTs’
maximum bets are $2, and prizes can be worth up to $1,000.

Poker: Legal

South Dakota features several live poker rooms throughout
its commercial and tribal casinos.
Silverado Franklin is the largest poker room at five tables.

Racing: Legal

The Mount Rushmore State has a limited live racing program
that takes place in the spring. The Stanley County Fairgrounds and Brown County
Fairgrounds feature live horseracing for several weeks.

The Triple Crown Casino (Sioux City) and Time Out Lounge
(Rapid City) both offer simulcast betting on horse and greyhound racing.

Social Gambling: Legal

South Dakota doesn’t make any exception for social gaming
in their criminal code, therefore it’s illegal.

Efforts have been made to carve out exceptions for social
Texas hold’em and other card games. But these haven’t resulted in any changes.

Nevertheless, we can’t find one instance where somebody has
been arrested for social gaming in South Dakota.

As long as you keep the stakes reasonable and the host
isn’t running an illegal gambling business, your poker game should be fine.

Gambling Venues in South Dakota

The state’s largest concentration of casinos is found in
Deadwood. Located near the Montana and Wyoming borders, Deadwood quickly
experienced success because it draws both in state and out of state bettors.

But due to the gambling saturation that’s overtaken
America, Deadwood had to increase betting limits to remain competitive with
other states.

South Dakota’s largest casino is Royal River, which has
almost 400 gaming machines and 10 table games. The second biggest is Silverado
Franklin Hotel & Casino, which offers 360 slot machines.

History of Gambling in South Dakota

South Dakota’s recorded gambling history began in 1874,
when Colonel George Armstrong Custer’s expedition discovered gold in the Black
Hills.

This started the Black Hills Gold Rush, which made Deadwood
a big prospecting town. Numerous brothels, gambling establishments, and saloons
opened in Deadwood.

This is also where the infamous outlaw “Wild Bill” Hickok
was shot by Jack McCall during an 1876 poker game. Hickok held a poker hand of
Ac As 8s 8c (fifth card unknown) when he was shot, which is now known as a “Dead
Man’s Hand.”

By the 1950s, South Dakota passed laws to hamper the spread
of gambling. But they would quickly offer a legal gambling option in 1960, when
lotteries were approved.

By 1989, commercial casinos were approved in Deadwood with
a $5 maximum bet. This made the legendary Wild West town one of the few places
outside Las Vegas with commercial gambling.

South Dakota has since raised max betting limits to help
Deadwood remain a profitable casino destination in the face of out of state
competition.

They’ve also resisted against online gambling for fears
that it will detract from Deadwood’s land based gambling revenue.

South Dakota FAQs

The South Dakota Constitution bans internet gambling
operators and even slaps them with an individual charge for every accepted bet.
But the state is still filled with online gaming options.

Not surprisingly, this has left many gamblers with
questions. And here are some FAQs that we’ve received on the Mount Rushmore
State.

Additional Resources

Below you can see the agencies that govern South Dakota
gaming along with more information on laws.

• 
  South Dakota Commission on Gambling

The Commission on Gambling website
discusses gaming applications, horseracing rules, annual revenue reports, and
more.

• 
  South Dakota Gambling Laws

This page offers a comprehensive look at
South Dakota’s gambling laws for both charitable and commercial gaming.

• 
  South Dakota Lottery

The South Dakota Lottery oversees both the
state’s ticket games and video lottery terminals.

The Future & Your Views

South Dakota doesn’t take a favorable view towards online
gambling, and they aren’t anywhere close to changing this stance.

The primary objective for South Dakota is to protect
Deadwood’s commercial gambling industry. They don’t, however, seem to care much
about iGaming.

One problem is that South Dakota isn’t a good candidate for
successful iGaming due to their small population (46th in US). They’re also
located in a region that isn’t obsessed with casino or internet gambling.

Perhaps the biggest problem of all is that there aren’t any
serious legislative efforts to regulate the activity.

The current laws in place make online gambling operators
illegal. And while these laws haven’t been strictly enforced, they show the
state’s attitude towards iGaming.

It may be 5 to 10 years before North Dakota seriously
considers online gambling. In the meantime, players
continue playing at offshore casino, poker, and sports betting sites.