South Dakota Searchlight – Monthly sports wagering in Deadwood topped $1 million for the first time in October, according to new data from the Deadwood Gaming Association.
Gamblers bet $1.02 million on sports, a 19% increase over the prior October.
About half the bets were placed on professional football. College football and professional baseball were also big draws, followed by various other sports.
South Dakota voters approved sports betting for Deadwood in 2020, adding it to the city’s pre-existing gambling offerings.
Taking all of those offerings into account, October spending on gambling totaled $132.38 million in Deadwood, down slightly from the prior October. Casinos kept about $12 million after paying winnings, awarding free play and covering other expenses.
Players put $123.72 million into slot machines last month, and table-game players bought $7.63 million worth of chips.
Taxes on Deadwood gambling produced a total of $1.11 million in October for state government and local governments in Lawrence County.
So far this year, total gambling spending in Deadwood is up 2% to $1.32 billion.