South Dakota has not legalized real money online casinos, but players can win cash prizes playing slots and table games at sweepstakes casinos, which are just as good as the real thing in many ways. Despite gambling being a popular pastime in South Dakota since the days of Wild Bill Hickock and Wyatt Earp, real money gambling is limited to retail casinos like Cadillac Jack’s and Saloon 10 in Deadwood. Thankfully, players can start winning cash by playing their favorite games with premium coins at sweeps sites.
Online Casino Gaming for Cash Prizes in South Dakota
Players aged 18 and older can legally play at sweepstakes and social casinos in South Dakota, where you can play just for fun or go for cash prizes. That applies to both visitors and residents of South Dakota. These are the best sweepstakes casinos in the state:
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Gambling is for entertainment purposes only. Stay safe and ensure success when you gamble responsibly. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER for confidential support. Visit SAMHSA’s National Helpline website for resources that include a treatment center locator, anonymous chat, and more.
How South Dakota Online Casino Sites Work — Quick Sweeps Explainer
Social and sweepstakes casinos offer two forms of currency. There are virtual credits, which are usually known as Gold Coins. These credits have no monetary value, but you can use them to play games for fun. The sites also offer premium credits, usually called Sweeps Coins, which can be redeemed for cash prizes. The more you win, the more you can redeem.
You can claim free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins (or the site’s equivalent, such as Game Coins and Stake Cash) at each site by clicking the “PLAY NOW” links displayed above and receiving a sweepstakes casino no deposit bonus. Ongoing promos may provide you with additional coins. You can also purchase Gold Coins, and the online casino will then normally give you free Sweeps Coins. If you are interested in making a purchase, the best sites will offer a new player discount.
How We Rank the Best South Dakota Online Casinos
We weigh six important categories when reviewing and ranking online casinos that operate in South Dakota.
- Availability: We only review social and sweepstakes casinos that operate legally in South Dakota. They actively welcome players based in the Mount Rushmore State, and they comply with state sweepstakes regulations. The sites recommended on this page are owned by established, trusted operators. They use strong security tools to protect your data and host fair games. (Here’s why you should avoid illegal online casinos.)
- Game Selection: We start by assessing the game variety and game quality at each social or sweepstakes casino. The best operators offer a large library of games sourced from lots of highly rated suppliers, and they provide a diverse range of high-quality slots and table games.
- User Experience: Our reviewers also consider the general user experience on offer at each online casino. Some are poorly presented, with cluttered pages, confusing navigation systems, and glitchy casino software. The best sites and mobile apps stand out by offering a user-friendly interface and excelling in terms of reliability and speed.
- Sweepstakes Play: We look for sites and apps that offer the dual currency system described above. They allow you to play for fun with Gold Coins or seek cash prizes with Sweeps Coins, giving you flexibility.
- Bonuses: The bonuses, promotions, and loyalty rewards on offer at each social or sweepstakes casino are also important. We seek online casinos that offer generous no deposit casino bonuses, regular promotions, contests, prize draws, discounts on coin purchases, and rewards programs. Our reviewers focus on the size, simplicity, and regularity of the offers.
- Payments: Finally, we assess the casino payment options. If you decide to purchase coins, it should be an instant, simple process with lots of available payment methods. Redemptions for cash prizes should also be fast, secure, and sans fees.
South Dakota Online Gambling Snapshot
| Gambling Type | Legal | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US Online Casinos | No | South Dakota has not passed any legislation to permit online casino gaming. |
| Online Poker | No | South Dakota prohibits online poker. |
| Online Lottery | No | The state prohibits online lottery. |
| Pari-Mutuel Wagering | Yes | Online racebooks are legal in South Dakota, so you can sign up with sites including TVG and TwinSpires. |
| Online Sports Betting | Yes | Allowed on the premises of casinos located within the city of Deadwood. |
| DFS Contests | Yes | South Dakota has never explicitly banned DFS operators, so sites like FanDuel and DraftKings accept players in the state. |
Online Casino Games in South Dakota
Social and sweepstakes casinos in South Dakota offer many of the same games you would find at real-money online casinos. Games tend to fall into the following categories.
Slots in South Dakota
You will find hundreds of slots from providers such as NetEnt, Red Tiger, Pragmatic Play, Betsoft, and Play’n Go at the best social casinos in South Dakota. Slots tend to account for at least 90% of an online casino’s portfolio, and they sometimes focus exclusively on slots. These are some of the reasons why slots are so popular.
- Accessibility: Slots are easy to understand. You just need to choose your bet size, spin the reels, and wait for the results. There is no skill involved, so beginners never need to worry about making correct strategic decisions.
- Variety: There are thousands of different slots covering a huge array of themes. You can play simple three-reel games, Megaways slots with more than 100,000 paylines, branded slots focused on popular movies or TV shows, bonus buy slots, cluster pay slots, and much more. There are low-volatility, medium-volatility, and high-volatility slots, and there are loads of different features, so there is something for everyone.
- Jackpots: Some slots offer fixed jackpots, and others offer progressive jackpots. A portion of each bet placed goes into a wider pool when you play progressive jackpot slots, and it grows until someone lands the top prizes. These games can produce very large payouts, which makes them popular with many players.
- Limits: There are also slots to suit all budgets, from penny slots to games with high limits per spin. You can play them for fun with Gold Coins, or you can use Sweeps Coins to try to win cash prizes or gift cards.
- Innovation: More than 100 reputable software studios are competing to create the best slots, which leads to a great deal of creativity within the sector. New features and themes are unveiled on a regular basis, from 3D slots and Megaways slots to expanding reels and cluster pays. New games also hit the market on a regular basis, creating a dynamic, vibrant category.
Table Games in South Dakota
Table games offer a compelling alternative to slots. They tend to have higher Return to Player (RTP) rates, but you often need to place the right bets and make the correct strategic decisions to realize that benefit. This is certainly the case for games like blackjack and table poker.
These are some of the most common table games at South Dakota online casinos:
You can play virtual versions of these games powered by random number generators. Some sites, including Stake.us and High 5, also have live dealer table games, allowing you to stream the action on your computer or mobile device and chat with the dealer throughout.
More South Dakota Online Casino Games
There are often games that do not fall into the table games or slot categories. They may be referred to as variety games, arcade-style games, or simply “Other” games. These games can include bingo, keno, scratchers, virtual sports, Mines, Crash, Plinko, and Hi-Lo.
History of Gambling in South Dakota
South Dakota was rife with gambling during the 1800s. The practice reached its apex in the late 1870s when gold deposits were discovered near Deadwood. Notorious gunslingers from across the country descended on Deadwood, and Wild Bill Hickok was killed while playing cards at a saloon in the town.
Casino games were eventually outlawed as the state modernized. However, gambling was allowed to resume in Deadwood in 1989. The state government described it as “a long-shot experiment to see if legalized gambling could save the town’s economy and preserve its heritage.” An actor portraying Wild Bill fired a pistol to begin the festivities in November 1989.
There are now several renowned casinos in Deadwood. Tribal casinos have also operated in South Dakota since October 1990, when the Santee Sioux opened the first venue. Sports betting has been legally available in South Dakota since September 2021, but only at casinos located within the city of Deadwood.
Voters approved a state lottery in 1986, the same year that Halley’s Comet flew past and Maverick first played volleyball. Pari-mutuel wagering has been legal since 1987 in South Dakota.
Retail Casinos in South Dakota
There are more than 20 state-licensed casinos in Deadwood. Some of the largest operations include Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Resort, The Midnight Star Casino, and Tin Lizzie Gaming Resort. They host modern games, but they also try to recapture the aesthetics of the famous 19th-century casinos that welcomed the likes of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Wyatt Earp.
Nine tribes in South Dakota also operate 13 casinos across the state according to the American Gaming Association. They include Dakota Sioux Casino, Grand River Casino & Resort, Prairie Wind Casino & Resort, and Rosebud Casino. The largest tribal casinos in South Dakota offer 250-500 slot machines, table games, and poker rooms. Tribal gaming commissions regulate these operations, while the South Dakota Commission on Gaming oversees the commercial casinos in Deadwood.
South Dakota Online Casinos – Bottom Line
There are plenty of impressive casinos in Deadwood and on tribal lands in South Dakota. However, it is a large state, and it is not particularly convenient for many South Dakotans to visit those venues. For that reason, social and sweepstakes casinos are popular. These sites allow you to enjoy table games and slots for entertainment purposes, but there is also the option to seek cash prizes in sweepstakes play.
More Resources for South Dakota Online Gamblers
Online Casinos in Neighboring States
South Dakota Online Casinos FAQ
No, real money online casinos are illegal in South Dakota. However, you can play games at social casinos and sweepstakes casinos in the Mount Rushmore State, like Jackpota Casino and Carnival Citi.
Yes. You will receive Sweeps Coins, with which you can play casino games. If you win, they will convert to cash, normally at a rate of 1:1. The minimum redemption is typically $100 at sweepstakes casinos in South Dakota.
You can play slots and table games, such as blackjack, roulette, and craps, at land-based casinos in Deadwood. Some of them, like Cadillac Jack’s, also have poker rooms, allowing visitors to compete in cash games and tournaments.
Yes, there are 13 tribal casinos in South Dakota, owned and operated by nine federally recognized tribes. The largest SD tribal casinos include Dakota Sioux Casino and Grand River Casino & Resort, which offer slots, table games, and poker rooms.
Players must be 21 or older to visit a commercial casino in Deadwood or a tribal casino in South Dakota. Sports betting is also permitted at land-based casinos if you are 21 or older.
You can place pari-mutuel bets on horse races or buy lottery tickets from the age of 18 in South Dakota. Sweepstakes contests are also legal for anyone aged 18 or older in the Mount Rushmore State, including sweepstakes play at online casinos.
Sports betting is legal in South Dakota. However, it is only allowed at casinos located within the city of Deadwood.
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