Is sports betting legal in South Dakota?

Deadwood or nothing

The law is Senate Bill 44 of 2021, an act "to authorize, regulate, and tax wagering on sporting events within the city limits of Deadwood". It added a section to the state's limited gaming law saying any sports wagering may only be conducted on the premises of a licensed gaming establishment within the city of Deadwood, and it makes every operator install equipment that keeps it that way. You can fund an account in advance, but the bet itself still has to be placed on the casino's premises.

The Department of Revenue's annual report for fiscal 2022 gives the start: on 9 September 2021, sports wagering went live in three Deadwood casinos, and three more added it later that year. The regulator is the South Dakota Commission on Gaming, which sits inside the Department of Revenue and also approves which leagues and bet types the books may offer.

The age is 21. The Commission's page says you must be at least 21 to wager in the casinos in Deadwood and at the tribal casinos. That page doesn't say whether the tribal casinos take sports bets, and I won't guess.

The bets you can't make

The same 2021 law bars a few markets outright. No bets on high school games or minor league games. No props on how an individual college player performs. And no bets at all on a college game when a team or athlete from a South Dakota college or university is playing. I like that last rule more than most (a small-school game is the easiest kind to get at), even if it costs the books some handle.

The mobile question

Phone betting has been tried. In 2026, SJR 504 would have asked voters to amend the state constitution to allow sports wagering on a mobile platform. The House State Affairs minutes for 25 February 2026 show the do-pass motion failed 6 to 7, and the committee then voted 11 to 2 to defer it to the 41st legislative day. The Secretary of State's list of 2026 ballot questions has nothing on sports betting.

Where the offshore books fit

Offshore books will take a bet from Sioux Falls or Rapid City, which Deadwood's books can't. They are not licensed by South Dakota, and the Commission can't make one pay you. A Deadwood book answers to a regulator down the street. The offshore sportsbooks section explains how those books work, and I'd read it before you trust one. Winnings are income wherever you bet; the IRS says gambling winnings are fully taxable.

If gambling is causing you trouble, the Commission lists a toll-free line, 1-888-781-HELP (4357), and our page on responsible gambling has more.

*Checked against the South Dakota Commission on Gaming and SB 44 (2021) on 28 October 2026. Laws change; this page is re-checked every quarter. This is not legal advice.*