South Dakota Gambling Laws & Statutes

The federal government has quite a few gambling regulations in place all across the nation to affect gambling in general. These acts target the business of gambling while leave the mere participants of such activities largely alone. While these national policies are overarching, there is much room left for each state to enact its own gambling legislation, as South Dakota is one state to have done so. We have provided this page as a guide to anyone in the Mount Rushmore State looking for legal gambling sites for South Dakota residents that anyone of legal age can use without worry or concern of violating any laws.

Important State Gambling Laws in South Dakota

Although the federal laws that govern the entire nation in regards to gambling are vast, plenty of room exists for each state to develop its own regulations for their own unique local policies. The state of South Dakota largely follows the guidelines already in place by the federal government and we outline a few of the more notable points from the state’s constitution below.

11-19-1 - Here we see that South Dakota has gambling legislation that has a long list of types of gambling that is not permitted by law. This means that anything not on the list could be acceptable! Just as with the federal policies, the business of gambling or conducting gambling operations is a major offense.

11-19-13 - As stated above and consistently through federal acts, the business of gambling is unlawful in South Dakota. The Mount Rushmore State has made it a point to include ‘Bookmaking; in this section as an offense that can carry steep fines as well as spending up to five years in prison.

11-19-18 - Anyone in South Dakota should be careful not to “keep a gambling house.” The definition of keeping a gambling place states that acting as a dealer, banker or lookout at any place the regularly holds gambling activities will warrant a massive fine and up to five years in prison.

11-51-1 - The state of South Dakota is so serious about stopping organized crime that they included a direct reference to the activity clearly in its state constitution. The definitions of actions by an “Organized Criminal Gambling Business” list serious commercial gambling crimes. Shady characters who get into this mess will see fines up to $10,000 and a long visit to prison.

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Federal Laws Affecting Gambling & Online Gambling In South Dakota

Wire Act – The Federal Wire Act is perhaps the most important piece of national legislation, which came to be in 1961. With a direct target on the business of gambling or facilitating bets for profit across state line via a wire device, the law does not impede the simple act of placing a bet. Average citizens are not the targets of this legislation as its intent is to root out organized crime by keeping regulated gambling in the control of local entities.

PASPA – The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) soon followed the Wire Act with a specific intent in halting the business of sports betting. This act bans the regulated practice of sports betting all across the country outside of exempt locations such as Las Vegas. As with the Federal Wire Act, only those who facilitate bets for profit are the recipients of this legislation while the simple act of making a sports bet is lawful under its rule.

UIGEA – The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is another federal law to go after the business of gambling in America. This act makes it unlawful for any online gambling entity located within the United States to engage in any financial transactions over the internet. Again, the average citizen is not in the sights of this act however, the venues in which one may place a bet become increasingly rare under its rule.

What all of these federal laws have in common is that average citizens are largely able to bet as they please so long as they never engage in the business of gambling or facilitating bets for profit. A major loophole that each of these federal acts share, is that they do not affect legal gambling sites for South Dakota residents located outside of the United States.

South Dakota Gambling Age

The age for legal South Dakota gambling is set at 18 years of age or older however local casinos reserve the right to restrict their gambling ages to 21 years of age or older. For all those in the Mount Rushmore State looking to wager at legal online gambling sites for South Dakota residents, they will find they are able to sign up if they are aged 18 years of age or older.

Online Gambling In South Dakota...What's The Verdict?

Overall, the laws that affect gambling in the Mount Rushmore State are meant only to hinder those in the business of gambling while leaving average citizens alone. Anyone in South Dakota, whom is of the legal age, does not attempt to conduct their own gambling scheme and only visits legal gambling sites for South Dakota residents, may rest assured that they are well within the rule of law to wager as they wish for real money without penalty.

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