South Dakota to Vote on Sports Betting

The November election is coming. The race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be tight as 2020 could one of the most significant elections in the history of the U.S. However, South Dakota has even more stake with this upcoming election.

The Mount Rushmore State will also be voting to pass marijuana and sports betting in November. That’s right; South Dakota is looking to potentially add to the sin tax revenue that could be brought into the state’s budget.

The legalization of marijuana and sports betting could be huge for the state of South Dakota even though the state has less than one million people residing there.

Our industry is more about focusing on sports betting and what the impact will be for states across the U.S. Let’s take a look at the potential of sports betting in South Dakota and what it could look like.

South Dakota Sports Betting

The Mount Rushmore State has a chance to legalize sports betting in South Dakota this November. Senator Bob Ewing in District 31 has helped get sports betting on the November ballot.

“With that said, My sponsorship of bills for the Deadwood gaming industry has been successful in adding Keno, Craps, and Roulette. This past session, I was successful in helping to add Sports Wagering to be voted on in the upcoming General Election,” said Ewing in the South Dakota ballot question pamphlet. You can read the whole sports betting amendment here.

Sports betting would be legal in Deadwood, roughly 27 miles from the South Dakota-Wyoming border. Sen. Ewing mentioned that Deadwood had seen gaming success in the casinos that have come to the city.

He believes sports betting will add more to Deadwood, and in return, the money generated from South Dakota sports betting would go back into the school system. South Dakota also has Indian reservations in the state, so legalized sports betting would also allow reservations to offer sports betting if a casino is on tribal grounds.

Ewing also believes many tourists would also help traveling across the state to Deadwood to place bets. If this is the case, then many cities could see increased revenue from people stopping along the way in South Dakota.

What Sports Betting Could Look Like?

Sports betting in South Dakota could fall between what Delaware and Washington D.C. both have. Given the smaller population, sports betting could help the state, but the numbers will not blow you away from states like New Jersey and Nevada.

There is also no talks of online sports betting becoming a thing in the state either. Right now, the only city that would have legalized sports betting would be in Deadwood. Tribal casinos will also be permitted sports betting if the bill is passed this November.

With limited locations and no telling, if mobile betting would be on the table, South Dakota sports betting would be a very small market. DraftKings and FanDuel might not try to enter a smaller market as it might be profitable compared to a local sports betting company took the reigns in the Mount Rushmore State.

Still, the upcoming election is huge for South Dakotans, as sports betting could be another way the expand sports betting in the U.S. along with helping the state bring in more revenue.