Deadwood casino gaming handle up 2.3% year-on-year in February

The South Dakota Commission on Gaming has reported that Deadwood casino visitors wagered $109m.

US.- Deadwood’s casinos saw their casino and sports betting gaming handle increase year-on-year in February. The South Dakota Commission on Gaming has reported that visitors wagered $109m, up 2.3 per cent compared to February 2022.

Players gambled $102m on slot machines, $69.m on table games. The slot machine handle increased by 2.26 per cent and table game handle by 2.70 per cent when compared to 2022.

Sports wagering generated a $717,000 handle, up 4.6 per cent year-on-year, led by wagers on the first rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and the NFL Super Bowl. Betting on NCAA’s Men’s Basketball should see the handle rise in March, when much of the tournament takes place.

The South Dakota Commission on Gaming reported that Deadwood gaming operators rewarded players with almost $1.5m in free play in February, leaving taxable adjusted gross revenues of almost $10m. At a 9 per cent tax rate, gaming in Deadwood generated over $800 thousand in tax revenue for the state.

For now, the city of Deadwood is the only territory in South Dakota to offer legal gambling. Sports betting has been allowed in Deadwood since 2020 but players must be at a Deadwood casino.