South Dakota Governor expresses opinion against sports betting

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said that the proposal to leave the issue of legalising sports betting in casinos to voters is not ideal. In this, she agreed with state Revenue Deputy Secretary David Wiest.

She said that she is against legalising betting as it would expand gambling in the state. “Well, it sounds like he did a good job identifying my concerns with the legislation as it’s coming forward,” she said.

The governor added that she is against expanding gambling in South Dakota: “And I look through that lens at any legislation that puts something else on the table for discussion,” Noem continued. “Our early indications are pretty clear that opening up state sports gambling to the public could end up costing us more than the actual revenue it would bring in. And so that’s a real concern for me. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze,” she said.

The governor does not have a direct impact on the subject, as legislative resolutions do not go to the governor. Several tribal governments also sent representatives to testify in favour of the Deadwood sports-wagering resolution. Federal law currently says that tribal governments should be allowed to offer the same types of gambling that a state government allows.