Gambling Handle Grows in Deadwood, South Dakota, Betting Soars

The spending on gambling in Deadwood, South Dakota, increased for the first half of the year, data released from the state’s Department of Revenue reveals. Currently, legal gambling activities are available only in Deadwood and at Native American properties.

The recently released data reveals that since the start of the year through June, the spending for gambling activities hit $748.3 million. Compared to the same year-to-date period from 2023, the latest result represented an increase of 1.53%.

All types of gambling activities, including slots, table games and sports betting posted an increase in their handles on a year-to-date basis through the end of June.

However, the biggest increase in the handle came from sports wagering. Between January and June this year, the betting handle hit $4.4 million. This result represented an increase of 9.37% year-over-year when compared to the corresponding period in 2023.

The handle reported for table games in Deadwood between January and June this year came close to $44 million. The result marked an increase year-over-year that was nearly 4%.

Although slots reported the lowest growth in handle year-over-year, they were responsible for the lion’s share of the total handle for the period. The handle posted by slots in Deadwood between January and June this year was $699,985,450, marking an increase of 1.35% year-over-year.

Sports Betting Handle Skyrockets in June, Boosted by Major Sports Events

Sports betting in South Dakota was legalized in March 2021. Then, in September, the activity officially launched via tribal operators and sportsbooks across Deadwood.

The latest year-to-date result reaffirms the growth of the popularity of betting activities. Undoubtedly, the start of the 2024 MLB season in March positively impacted the betting handle over the last few months. Considering that the season will continue through the end of September, sportsbooks would likely enjoy a further increase in the betting handle.

The sports betting handle in June soared as well, marking a growth year-over-year of more than 30%. In total, the betting handle reported by betting operators in Deadwood hit $557,594, up by 33.71% when compared to the corresponding month last year.

A breakdown of the handle reaffirms the popularity of MLB wagers. Such bets accounted for nearly $309,000 or more than 50% of the reported betting handle.

Wagers on the WNBA and NBA were the second-most popular last month considering the reported handle of $50,727 and $49,140 respectively. MMA/UFC action attracted a handle of $43,248, while the handle for soccer was $24,828.