Its’ not for lack of effort that we still question whether we will see a South Dakota Sportsbook take in wagers this year. State legislators have been hard at work drafting bills to legalize sports betting in South Dakota. While they were not successful last year, 2020 has been better to them. This January, both the House and Senate give their approval for a measure that is another step closer to seeing sports betting in South Dakota.
South Dakota residents will be voting this November, and one of the items they will decide on is if they will allow sports betting into their state. This makes South Dakota one of the handful of states with the unique situation where the decision lies in the public- literally. And if one would want to open a sportsbook in South Dakota, it may take a while.
South Dakota Sportsbook and Sports Betting
The state needs a constitutional change to be able to legalize sports betting in their area. This is why a referendum is needed, and why people need to vote on it. Senate Joint Resolution 501, or SJR 501 will be the key to even taking the big step in revolutionizing gambling locally. Lawmakers may even, as early as now, be drafting possible options and terms on legal sports betting in the state. With neighboring Iowa getting a good share of taxes from sports betting, locals are realizing the lost potential in state revenue.
Of course, the best way to open a sports betting market is to allow online wagering. Online sports betting presents a lot of advantages, such as convenience, and features, such as a Prop Bet Builder Software, to diversify the gambling experience. But, since this will still need the public’s vote, plus an actual sports betting bill that passes, we might not see the state get revenue from sports betting this year.