South Dakota Online Casinos

South Dakota is another state that has its crosshair set on gambling and gambling legalization. Things have been rather slow going, however, and this is normal. Right now, sports betting is the only major gambling activity that is enjoyed on the Internet in the state.

Although the state has numerous land-based casinos, these are not allowed to operate an online gambling skin. As a result, real money South Dakota online casinos are not available in the state or, at least, no regulated such casino is available. Yet, you can still explore offshore casino sites, which we will cover to help you better navigate the real money gambling landscape in the country.

Best South Dakota Online Casinos

To find the best South Dakota online casinos for real money, you will do well to look up our list of excellent brands. We have put them together for you to enjoy and have a quick reference as to what the most popular real-money online casinos are. They are not licensed in the state, but they are generally regarded as trusted and worthwhile options to explore.

Our team has carefully curated the list of available websites in the state to provide you with a sound breakdown of what to expect from each. The best websites that you can find in South Dakota will not necessarily have a license issued by any regulator, but they will all the same meet a robust standard for customer care.

The websites listed on our brand table all have responsible gambling policies in place, have a good track record with local communities, and provide players with a variety of bonuses and promotions, along with a diverse gaming portfolio to explore on their own.

Although unlicensed, they still meet certain robust standards for respectability and an overall level of trust. Players will also be able to bank safely, depositing and withdrawing at their leisure.

Are Online Casinos Legal in South Dakota?

No, online casinos are not legit in South Dakota. As a result, players cannot expect to find regulated casino sites locally, but is this all that bad? On the one hand, it means that you can never be certain if a website is going to be worth your while unless you have specifically researched the website.

Far more importantly, lack of regulation means that you may run into certain issues that would be otherwise easily avoidable. Presently, the only legitimate casinos in South Dakota are social, but unfortunately, these do not pay real money. While sports betting is regulated, most other forms of online gambling aren’t.

Does this mean that you can play for real money at a South Dakota online casino? It depends. You can theoretically register and play offshore, although this comes with its risks. Legally, you may be brought on misdemeanor charges, but the fact is that there have been no people charged with illegal gambling in the state for simply registering and playing at an online casino.

However, if you happen to be breaking the law in other ways, such as scamming South Dakotans casinos, you may face serious charges or even a lengthy prison sentence.

How to Pick an Online Casino in South Dakota

To pick an online casino in South Dakota, you will best look at some of the criteria that go into the selection process. For starters, it’s good to run a list of the important factors that can help you determine if you want to pick one casino over another. We have put five such factors that we hold particularly valuable when looking to handpick the best brands – license or no license.

Customer Support

Customer support is an easy way to verify if an online casino is going to be worth your while. The best way to go about this is to ask a question from customer support before registration. To save you the hassle, we do register and check ourselves, as sometimes customer support cannot be properly gauged as a non-registered online casino player in South Dakota. Good customer support is crucial, nevertheless.

Games and Software

Games and software are a great way to get a very good idea of what a casino can offer you. Essentially, players should look for a website that uses HTML5-optimized games and has no shortage of game genres and actual titles. Live dealer casino games, jackpots, and a variety of slot and RNG tables, including a few more innovative genres such as crash games, are all a normal part of the best casino sites, in South Dakota included.

Promotions and Bonuses

A bonus will tell you a lot about a casino. From how they treat players to what you can personally expect. If you are new to online casinos in general, remember that the size of a bonus is not all there is. You should equally care about the quality of the bonus itself. Are the wagering requirements a little too much? Can you comfortably play your favorite games? All of these questions are part of determining which South Dakota online casino the right fit for you is based on the bonuses it offers.

Banking and Payments

Banking and payments are equally important to your comfort and to picking a good online casino in South Dakota. You want a casino that will make sure that you are having a great time from start to finish. This includes the ability to deposit and cash out without any problems. We are particularly interested in finding a casino that lets you withdraw your money in the specifically advertised time windows and without imposing any additional charges. To verify that each payment method found at the casino is as advertised, we will deposit and withdraw with them, bringing you the best South Dakota online casinos only.

Trust and Reputation

Trust and reputation are important to players in South Dakota as the online casinos they encounter will not hold an official license. Therefore, these same players will have to first trust a casino site before they register. We verify the reputation and track record of individual casinos to guide you to the best possible options in the long run.

Mobile South Dakota Casinos

Since South Dakota does not offer online casinos for real money that is “legit,” you may wonder if there are any mobile casinos in the first place. Well, as it turns there are. Even those casinos based offshore will offer mobile play that runs smoothly on any handheld device, making it easy for you to play on the go anywhere in South Dakota. In the absence of regulated casinos in South Dakota that operate online, offshore mobile options are the only alternative.

South Dakota Casino Apps

South Dakota casino apps are available for social casinos but not so for real money casino sites. New players will still be happy to find the social apps available, but for those looking to get a hand on real money, the only choice is to play at mobile casinos instead.

Land-Based Casinos in South Dakota 

South Dakota is home to surprisingly many casinos. The state will welcome you to some excellent venues, among which are The Lodge at Deadwood, Gold Dust Casino, and Dakota Sioux Casino & Hotel. The Royal River Casino & Hotel seems to be the most popular land-based venue in the state and enjoys what is generally positive feedback from consumers. Overall, there are 35 land-based casinos in South Dakota, and they employ close to 5,000 people.

Responsible Gambling in South Dakota

As a state that regulates a major part of the gambling experience, South Dakota does show interest in funding responsible gambling and addressing problem gambling. The South Dakota Lottery runs and backs the Responsible Play campaign, which is designed to raise awareness about the issue, equipping players with the means necessary to avoid gambling pitfalls.

Another important resource used locally is the National Council on Problem Gambling, which has specifically dedicated a separate page for South Dakota. These resources include contacts and references to important organizations such as Gam Talk, Gam-Anon, and Gamblers Anonymous, all of which seek to make gambling safer for South Dakotans in the first place. 

South Dakota Online Casinos FAQ