Gamblers in Deadwood, South Dakota Bet $140M in September

Last month was a busy period for casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota, a newly released report from the state’s Department of Revenue reveals. The report unveils details regarding the total handle and win reported by licensed operators offering slot games, sports betting and table games.

The total gaming handle reported in September was $140.1 million, representing a 4.64% decrease when compared to the corresponding period in 2022. On the other hand, calendar year-to-date results through this September show a total gaming handle of nearly $1.2 billion. This result, when compared to the corresponding period in 2022 marks an increase of 2.63%.

According to the recent report, the total statistical win reported by licensed gambling operators last month was $13.6 million. Excluding deductions, the taxable adjusted gross revenue posted by operators this September was $12,927,083.47. Considering that South Dakota taxes gambling activities at 9%, this means that the state benefitted from $1,163,437 in taxes last month.

Earlier this year, Hard Rock International confirmed the opening of its Rocksino in Deadwood. The new gaming and entertainment location offers a bar, restaurant, as well as 86 slot machines. Moreover, the Rocksino by Hard Rock further expanded the offering available for Deadwood visitors.

Sports Betting Handle Soars in September

A breakdown provided by the Department of Revenue reveals that slot machines’ handle halted at $131.5 million last month, down by 5.18% year-over-year. However, the year-to-date betting handle for slots hit $1.12 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 2.60%.

Further details within the latest report reveal that the total handle posted by table games halted at $7.6 million last month. This result, compared to the September 2022 figure, showed an increase of 1,40%. Similarly, a year-to-date comparison for table games handle revealed an increase of 1.54% to $67.5 million.

While the handle posted by table games is on par and slots posted a slight decrease year-over-year, the sports betting handle soared. The total betting handle reported by Deadwood casinos for September was $979,693. A year-over-year comparison of this result showed an increase of 37.68%. Moreover, the betting handle year-to-date result marked an uptick as well, hitting $5.9 million, a result that represents an increase of 25.25% compared to the corresponding period in 2022.

Considering the betting handle, operators reported approximately $170,000 in wagering revenue. It’s no surprise that the lion’s share of the betting handle last month represented wagers on the NFL, nearly $426,000. The second-most popular event was NCAA FB with $325,000 in betting handle followed by MLB with $155,641.