Gambling Laws In South Dakota
South Dakota permits a wider range of gambling than many states, but each activity is governed by its own location, licensing, and age restrictions. Legal options include commercial casinos in Deadwood, tribal gaming, retail sports betting, video lottery terminals, traditional lottery games, pari-mutuel wagering, and qualifying charitable games.
Online gambling is more limited. State law does not currently authorize statewide mobile sportsbooks, internet casinos, or online poker, although licensed pari-mutuel racing platforms may accept account wagers. This guide explains the laws that apply to retail and online gambling, the agencies responsible for regulation, minimum age requirements, recent expansion efforts, and the principal statutes governing wagering in the state.
Laws For Retail Gambling
South Dakota generally prohibits gambling unless an activity is specifically authorized by state or federal law. The state nevertheless permits several forms of regulated retail wagering, including commercial gaming in Deadwood, gaming at tribal casinos, lottery products, video lottery terminals, charitable games, and pari-mutuel wagering.
Commercial casino gambling is limited to licensed establishments within the city limits of Deadwood. These properties are regulated by the South Dakota Commission on Gaming, which also oversees sports wagering and pari-mutuel racing. Tribal casinos operate separately under federal law and gaming compacts negotiated between individual tribes and the state.
Types of retail gambling allowed by law include:
- Casino table games: Licensed Deadwood and tribal casinos may offer approved games such as blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, and other authorized card or table games. Read our OnlineSouthDakota.com guide to local casinos for more information on this topic.
- Slot machines: Slots are permitted at licensed commercial casinos in Deadwood and at qualifying tribal gaming facilities.
- Retail sports betting: Adults may place legal sports wagers at approved gaming establishments in Deadwood. Betting must take place within the location or geographic boundary authorized by state law.
- Tribal sports betting: A tribe may offer sports wagering when the activity is authorized by its tribal-state gaming compact.
- South Dakota Lottery games: Residents and visitors may purchase authorized draw-game and scratch-off tickets from licensed retailers. Players must be at least 18.
- Video lottery: Licensed bars and lounges may operate approved video lottery terminals. Players must be at least 21.
- Pari-mutuel wagering: State law permits regulated wagering on qualifying horse and dog races, including approved simulcast and account-wagering operations.
- Charitable bingo and raffles: Certain nonprofit, religious, educational, civic, veterans, fraternal, political, and volunteer organizations may conduct bingo or raffles when statutory conditions are satisfied.
Unlicensed gambling remains illegal. South Dakota Codified Law 22-25-1 broadly prohibits placing or accepting wagers involving money or another item of value unless an exception applies. The possession or operation of an unlicensed slot machine is also prohibited.
South Dakota Online Gambling Laws
State lawmakers have not authorized online casinos in SD, online poker, or general-purpose mobile sports betting. Chapter 22-25A of the state’s codified laws prohibits operating an internet gambling business or using the internet to accept wagers unless the activity falls under a specific legal exception.
Online gambling options allowed under state law are limited to:
- Online pari-mutuel wagering: Licensed platforms may accept account wagers on horse or dog racing. State law provides for the licensing, regulation, auditing, and taxation of online pari-mutuel wagering providers.
- Authorized racing accounts: Players may fund and use approved accounts to wager on races offered through licensed advance-deposit or pari-mutuel platforms.
- Limited casino wagering systems: Technology may be used to manage sports wagers or wagering accounts at authorized Deadwood establishments, but this does not create statewide mobile sports betting.
- Lottery account services: Players may use official digital services to check results, obtain game information, and manage eligible features, but standard lottery tickets are generally purchased through authorized retailers rather than through a statewide internet lottery.
The following forms of statewide online gambling are not currently authorized:
- Online casino games
- Internet slot machines
- Online poker
- Statewide mobile sportsbooks
- Online bingo or commercial raffle sites
- Unlicensed offshore gambling operations based within the state
Retail sportsbooks may use mobile applications, kiosks, or electronic accounts as part of their approved systems, but bettors must remain within the legally permitted wagering boundary. Consequently, a person cannot legally place a state-regulated sports wager from anywhere in South Dakota simply by downloading an app.
Online pari-mutuel racing is the principal exception. State law expressly gives the South Dakota Commission on Gaming authority to regulate account wagering, multi-jurisdictional wagering pools, and online betting platforms offering horse or dog race wagers.
Who Regulates Gambling In SD?
Gambling oversight is divided among several agencies depending on the activity. The South Dakota Commission on Gaming, part of the Department of Revenue, is the primary regulator for commercial casino gambling in Deadwood. It handles licensing, rule enforcement, investigations, sports wagering, and pari-mutuel horse racing. The five-member commission is appointed by the governor.
The main regulatory bodies include:
- South Dakota Commission on Gaming: Regulates licensed casinos and sportsbooks in Deadwood, along with live and simulcast horse racing and authorized pari-mutuel wagering.
- South Dakota Lottery: Administers scratch tickets, draw games, and the state’s video lottery network. It also licenses and oversees participating retailers, operators, establishments, and gaming equipment.
- Tribal gaming authorities: Each tribal casino is primarily regulated by its respective tribal gaming commission under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and an approved tribal-state compact.
- National Indian Gaming Commission: Provides federal oversight of tribal gaming operations and enforces requirements established under federal law.
- Local law-enforcement agencies: Police departments, county sheriffs, and state authorities may investigate illegal gambling, unlicensed machines, and other violations outside the regulated market.
The Commission on Gaming may also perform certain duties established in gaming compacts between South Dakota and federally recognized tribes. However, tribal casinos are not regulated in exactly the same manner as commercial properties in Deadwood.
South Dakota Minimum Gambling Ages
The minimum age to gamble depends on the activity. Casino gambling and video lottery are restricted to adults 21 and older, while traditional lottery products and pari-mutuel racing are available at 18.
- Deadwood casinos: 21
- Tribal casinos: 21
- Slot machines: 21
- Casino table games: 21
- Casino poker: 21
- Retail sports betting: 21
- Tribal sports betting: 21
- Video lottery terminals: 21
- Scratch-off lottery tickets: 18
- Draw lottery games: 18
- Live horse-racing wagers: 18
- Simulcast race betting: 18
- Online pari-mutuel horse or dog racing: 18
- Charitable bingo: No single statewide minimum participant age is clearly established in the general charitable-gaming statute; organizers or local authorities may impose their own restrictions.
- Charitable raffles: No general statewide minimum purchase age is clearly specified, although individual organizations may establish age requirements.
Licensed Deadwood gaming establishments must display notices stating that patrons must be at least 21 to gamble. Video lottery play is also expressly limited to those 21 and older.
Adults may purchase scratch and draw-game tickets beginning at 18, while pari-mutuel wagering at live races, simulcast facilities, and qualifying online racing platforms also begins at 18.
Have There Been Any Attempts to Expand Gaming?
Yes. Most recent expansion efforts have focused on allowing statewide mobile sports betting. At present, regulated sports wagering is generally limited to in-person bets placed at authorized Deadwood casinos and qualifying tribal properties.
In 2026, lawmakers introduced Senate Joint Resolution 504, which proposed a constitutional amendment permitting sports betting through mobile or electronic platforms. The Senate approved the proposal by a 23–10 vote, but it ultimately failed to complete the legislative process and was not placed before voters.
Similar proposals have been introduced several times:
- 2020: Voters approved a constitutional amendment authorizing sports betting in Deadwood.
- 2021: Lawmakers established the regulatory framework but limited wagering to approved retail locations.
- 2022: A proposal to authorize mobile sports betting failed in a House committee.
- 2025: Senate Joint Resolution 507 sought to place statewide mobile wagering before voters but did not pass.
- 2026: Senate Joint Resolution 504 advanced through the Senate before failing later in the legislative process.
Other proposals have sought narrower changes, including increasing video lottery limits, adjusting the distribution of gaming revenue, and allowing certain booster clubs to conduct bingo, lotteries, or pull-tab games. However, lawmakers have not approved statewide online casinos, internet poker, or unrestricted mobile sportsbooks.
Because gambling restrictions are written into the South Dakota Constitution, a major expansion often requires legislative approval followed by a statewide public vote. As a result, efforts to broaden legal wagering tend to move more slowly than ordinary statutory changes.
Current Laws In SD
The local gambling framework is primarily contained in the state constitution and several chapters of the South Dakota Codified Laws. The following are the main laws governing legal and illegal wagering in the state:
These are the principal laws rather than every individual statutory section. Chapter 22-25 provides the general prohibition, while Chapters 42-7, 42-7A, and 42-7B establish the major exceptions for racing, lottery products, video lottery, Deadwood casinos, and sports betting.
Are Offshore Casinos Legal?
While internationally based gambling sites are not authorized by the state government, there are no laws that prevent locals from accessing them and playing real money games. These sites are required to follow their local laws, so the regulations put forth by the USA or SD do not impact them.
To learn more about offshore gambling sites that accept SD-based players, read our online casino reviews page.