South Dakota is the latest state to permit some form of legal sports betting.
South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem has signed a bill into law that will bring legal and regulated sports betting to the state.
Noem signed the bill, SB 44, into law on Thursday last week after voters in the state approved legal wagering in November.
September 1 has been set as the target launch date for legal sports betting in South Dakota.
What the bill covers
The newly signed bill permits sports betting in the state’s historic city of Deadwood, the only area in the entire state where any form of gambling is legal.
Under the new law, a customer must first register in-person at one of the city’s licenced casinos. After this, a customer can place a bet using a mobile device when inside the casino.
A sports wagering services provider license will cost $2,000 with operators being required to pay a $2,000 annual renewal fee.
The legislation does not set a tax rate or outline how many licences would be made available. The state’s sports betting market will be regulated by the South Dakota Commission on Gaming.
Bettors in the state will be able to legally wager on a variety of sporting events, however, not every event can be bet on.
According to the legislation, betting on high school sports, minor league sports and colleges located in the state is prohibited. The legislation also bans proposition bets on individual collegiate athletes.
The road to sports betting in South Dakota
The legalisation of sports betting in the state of South Dakota comes after voters approved Amendment B, a measure that would permit sports betting in the state, last year.
In November 2020, South Dakota voters approved Amendment B by a margin of 58.5% against 41.5%.
Amendment B expanded the number of legal gambling activities in the state and added sports betting to blackjack, craps, poker, roulette and slot machines to the list of legal gambling products.
In February, the South Dakota Senate approved the sports betting legislation, SB 44, by a vote of 32-2 and then the House approved the bill by a margin of 58-8 earlier this month.
