If you're wondering whether or not playing online poker in South Dakota is possible, then the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" There are at least a half dozen reputable internet cardrooms that serve SD residents, so you'll be able to choose the ones you like best and play for real money without leaving your home.
There are plenty of offline gambling destinations within the state, but because of the large distances involved, you may find it preferable to boot up your computer and head online. Online poker allows you to indulge in your card-based hobby while avoiding these hassles. We think Ignition Casino is the best one overall, but there are many other excellent online poker sites to choose from.
The online selection for South Dakotan players consists of a number of sites that vary in terms of games available, stakes offered, and promotional offerings. By partnering with some of the most honest and reliable online poker rooms, we aim to enable you to find a solution that meets with your full approval. All of the firms we present below are known for speedy payouts, fair games, and smoothly functioning software.
It may seem surprising given the number of physical gambling locations within the state, but South Dakota actually has pretty heavy penalties for accepting wagers online, including on poker. This may be because the powerful live gambling interests wish to curtail their would-be competitors from outside locations.
Fortunately, this does not apply to individual participants. We couldn't find any information indicating that anyone anywhere in South Dakota has ever faced charges for playing poker online by themselves in their own house. You too can enjoy this hobby without any fear of legal prosecution.
There are many possibilities for online poker in South Dakota which means that it's not easy to identify the best sites for poker. We've gone through all the data carefully to create a shortlist. Regardless of which of the below poker rooms you join, you'll be able to enjoy a variety of games and stakes, fast payment of your winnings, and fair randomization of the deal.
Signing up for a SD online poker site is very easy. We've included instructions below for getting started at our #1 recommended site for South Dakotans, but the steps should be similar no matter which room you choose.
The poker sites for SD residents are not the same. They each have their own attributes, and some are better in certain areas than others. We use specific criteria to evaluate them all and determine which ones are the best.
Some poker sites stick to the basics, like NL Hold'em and PLO, but others have an extensive menu of niche poker variants, like Stud, Razz, and Mixed games. Furthermore, the blind levels spread differ from site to site.
In the realm of SNGs and tournaments too, there's a great variety in the games offered between different sites. Some rooms host lottery-style sit n' gos, satellites to major events, step tourneys to bigger tourneys, and other special formats.
Most poker sites let you fund your account via credit card and receive your winnings through checks or money transfer. However, these are not the best methods to use. Crypto-currency, which is supported by every site on our recommended list, tends to have lower fees and faster transaction speeds than legacy payment providers.
If you aren't yet comfortable using cryptos, then you can read this guide on how to use Bitcoin for online gaming purposes.
Internet poker providers offer incentives to entice new players and retain existing customers. Among these special deals are bonuses, which are additional funds that will be released to your account when you meet the conditions of the bonus. Besides bonuses, you might encounter leaderboards, rake races, freerolls, comp/VIP point programs, and more.
Rakeback is a type of promotion that can have such a positive impact on a player's profitability that we have incorporated it into the name of our site: ProfessionalRakeback. Rakeback is an ongoing percentage refund of the rake you pay while at the tables.
Quite a few of the SD online poker rooms provide rakeback. If you're interested in this beneficial feature, then check out the sites below:
For more details on the poker sites South Dakota players can utilize, please feel free to read the reviews below. Our experts have played at all of these and will give you accurate, verifiable facts so you can make an informed decision about where to play.
Credit Card, Voucher Code, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, MatchPay
Ignition Poker is the largest online poker site available to South Dakotans, so you'll probably have no trouble finding a suitable game. All gaming here is anonymous, so you won't be able to track your opponents over time, but this has its benefits because it makes novice players feel comfortable and thus makes for easier tables.
You can enjoy NL Hold'em, PLO, PLO/8, and Limit Hold'em cash games as well as fast-fold Zone Poker, Sit-and-gos, Jackpot SNGs, and multi-table tournaments. The weekly major is the $162 Sunday $150,000 guaranteed, and there are frequent MTT series with eight figures in guaranteed prizes.
Ignition's first deposit bonus for crypto users is a 150% up to $1,500 deal that clears remarkably fast. However, Ignition reserves many of its reloads and other promotions for losing players, so you won't get much recurring promo value if you're a winner.
Ignition Poker offers a downloadable poker client for Windows and Mac. Other hardware, like phones and tablets, works with the fully functional, browser-based interface.
Credit Cards, Person to Person, Money Orders, Bank Wire, Cashiers Check, Bitcoin, Avalanche, Binance, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Polygon, Ripple, Shiba Inu, Solana, Stellar, Tether, Tron, USD Coin
SB Poker and its virtually identical sister site, BetOnline, offer a wide selection of cash games, including NL Hold'em, PLO, and PLO/8, featuring blinds up to $5/$10. Fast-fold Boost Poker, sit-and-gos, randomized Windfall SNGs, and numerous MTTs are also present.
SB Poker boasts many promotions, like Bad Beat Jackpots, leaderboards, contests, and the RISE rewards program, which promise to give you some extra money to pad your bankroll. On the other hand, the first deposit bonus clears slowly, and the rake is a on the higher side.
The SB Poker and BetOnline downloads run on any Windows or Mac system. Mobile users on Android or iOS can also utilize an excellent mobile application. You can receive a first deposit bonus worth 100% up to $1,000 to play poker, and be sure to check out the attached casino and sportsbook for additional promotional offers.
Credit Card, Voucher Code, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, MatchPay
As a member of the Pai Wang Luo network that Ignition Poker is on, Bovada offers all the same games and tournaments as Ignition. In addition, Bovada allows you to bet on sports and horses. All major sports, including MLB baseball, NFL football, and NBA basketball, are available at Bovada. Bovada also covers over 100 horse tracks from all around the world.
The Bovada Poker client is available to download on Windows and Mac devices, and a web-based version allows players to play on any modern tablet or mobile device. The poker bonus at Bovada is worth 100% of your first deposit up to $500. The attached casino and sportsbook also offer promotions worth up to $3,750!
Credit Cards, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, Money Transfer
ACR Poker is the flagship of the Winning Poker Network, the second-largest U.S.-facing poker site. ACR is well known for offering an extensive variety of tournaments across numerous buy-in levels, including recurring VENOMs with at least $5 million guaranteed and series with tens of millions of dollars up for grabs.
Of course, ACR also offers many cash game formats, including NLH, PLO, LHE, and Boost fast-fold games along with SnGs. Weekly leaderboards reward high-volume players, and additional rewards come through the Elite Benefits system.
ACR Poker offers a complete, downloadable poker client for Windows and Mac devices and a mobile app. Use our exclusive ACR bonus code PRB10FREE to receive a $10 no deposit bonus as well as a 100% first deposit bonus up to $2,000.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, CHP, Polygon, BNB
CoinPoker is currently the busiest crypto-only poker room available online. The tables are denominated only utilizing USDT, or Tether. You also can use a few other cryptos for deposits and withdrawals.
NL Hold'em, PL Omaha, and 5 Card Omaha are present, but PLO/8 and LHE are lacking. There are no non-lottery Sit & Gos either although three-player Cosmic Spins with a randomized multiplier are present.
You can play at CoinPoker from any Mac, PC, Android, or iOS device. You'll be able to benefit from a generous deposit bonus of 150% up to $2,000. You will also have the option of earning 33% rakeback weekly if you're willing to invest a little into the proprietary CHP coin.
Credit Card, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Lightning Bitcoin, Litecoin
Everygame does not have the traffic of some of its competitors, and its software platform is a bit outdated, but where it stands out is in its exceptional promotional offerings. 36% rakeback is offered as the standard, and rakeback payments are issued daily. Additional value can be had through the weekly rake races, overlay tournaments, reload bonuses, a VIP loyalty program, and freerolls.
The poker welcome bonus is worth 200% of your first deposit up to $1,000, and it clears pretty rapidly.
Bitcoin
SwCPoker is a crypto poker room online that is highly regarded for its wide range of poker formats supported. One major selling point of SwC is that you can play at micro-stakes tables without paying any rake whatsoever, so you can increase your profits as you learn. You won't get any bonuses here, but you'll be able to receive up to 50% rakeback based on your play at the tables.
Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, USD Coin, BNB
Nitrobetting's cashier is Bitcoin-only, which results in impressively fast payouts, oftentimes taking less than an hour. There are only two types of poker here: NL Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha.
The section below aims to provide factual information detailing South Dakota’s rich history involving gambling and poker, live poker options in the state, and similar information.
For a state with its scanty population, South Dakota hosts a surprisingly complete menu of gaming diversions. The state lottery is a going concern, and it includes video lottery terminals in retail establishments across the state.
The Mount Rushmore State, as do many others, divides its casinos into the categories of commercial endeavors and tribal gaming parlors. Unlike most jurisdictions around the country, though, the commercial casinos are restricted to a single city: Deadwood. This city has about 20 commercial casinos, and approximately a dozen tribal gaming ventures dot the rest of the state map.
Poker is allowed although there's an unusual restriction of no bets larger than $1,000. Only a few casinos have poker rooms, however, and those that exist are pretty small.
Sports betting is the latest gambling pastime to hit the state. Voters approved SD sports betting via ballot measure in 2020, and lawmakers passed follow-up legislation a year later. However, all licensed sportsbooks are restricted to retail bookmaking in Deadwood; no online wagering is allowed. Tribal casinos can theoretically install sportsbooks at their facilities too, but the relevant compacts would need to be adjusted first.
In 1933, horseracing pari-mutuel wagering was allowed, and in 1986, a state lottery was established. 1989 saw the first casinos open their doors while more venues for real money gaming were allowed starting in 1993 with tribal compacts. There are provisions also for charitable gambling and events hosted by veterans organizations.
Today, there are more than 30 casinos within the borders of South Dakota. The majority of them are clustered in Deadwood, but there are several operated by the Sioux and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribes on their territories. The Deadwood casinos must adhere to a rule that limits bets to a maximum of $1,000, which is a bit unusual, but this really only affects higher-stakes play.
The latest type of wagering to come to South Dakota is sports betting, which arrived after voters approved it at the ballot box in 2020. Then in 2021, the first legalized sportsbooks appeared, but they are (for now) permitted only in Deadwood. One must be physically present at a licensed sportsbook to place sports bets; online or mobile betting is not allowed.
A fairly quiet and unassuming state, South Dakota unsurprisingly has not had much of an impact on the wider world of poker. Still, there's one big name from the state that towers above all others. Layne Flack is undoubtedly the South Dakotan who has had the most success on the felt. Although in later years, he called various places in Montana and Nevada home, he is originally from Rapid City.
With the encouragement of fellow player Huck Seed, Flack moved to Las Vegas in 1997. It was just a couple years later that he scored his first World Series of Poker bracelet in the $3,000 Pot Limit Hold'em event for which he earned a prize of $224,400. This was the first of the six gold bracelets that he collected during his career.
In addition to his six WSOP bracelets, Layne also cashed in 68 other WSOP events (including circuit and international tourneys) for a total of $2.9 in WSOP tourney earnings. When we add in all the money he made from non-WSOP tournaments, his total live earnings exceed $5 million.
Sadly, Layne battled drug addiction and was known to play while completely drunk. These demons caught up to him on July 19, 2021 when he was found dead at his home. The Clark County coroner stated the cause of death as “fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine intoxication.” In July 2022, Layne Flack was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Perhaps you may be fortunate enough to have another address in a nearby state, be it your business address, summer home, second apartment, family home, etc. If this is the case, then you may have other online poker options available to you. Here is a list of the states that border South Dakota and Professional Rakeback's review on each of them: Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming. If your other address is located elsewhere in the United States, then our poker overview for Americans may make for profitable reading.
While the authorities in Pierre haven't yet warmed to the idea of online poker in South Dakota, there's nothing really stopping you from engaging in this activity. South Dakota online poker is going strong thanks to the handful of offshore sites that continue to serve residents of the Coyote State. Regardless of the outdated statutes on the books, you can play at the virtual tables without fear or hassle.
Poker is an engaging and stimulating hobby, but it is just that: a hobby. If you find yourself playing for extended periods of time or for such stakes that it interferes with the rest of your life, then it might be time to explore problem gambling resources. If you think this might apply to you, then please check out the following:
South Dakotans often have many questions about online poker. We've attempted to collect some of the most important of them below and answer them accurately.
Yes, online poker is effectively legal in South Dakota. This state is rather unusual in that it has specific laws prohibiting online real money gaming, but these statutes are worded very carefully to only criminalize the actions of those managing and running the games. They do not target individual players at all. The other SD laws that could be used to prosecute online poker players are in practice never enforced.
Federal laws, like the UIGA, also do not penalize private individuals who engage in online poker playing. They instead go after the large companies operating these gambling operations.
Thus, anybody in South Dakota who wishes to log on and play at an offshore poker site can do so without any legal risk.
Yes, PokerStars is operating legally in South Dakota. However, it offers only play money games in this state. You see, in order to settle the Black Friday charges laid against the company, 'Stars voluntarily agreed to exit the U.S. market for online gaming except in those states where it has obtained an explicit license to do business for real money.
According to Global Poker, its card room is fully legal in South Dakota and in the rest of the states too. Yet, we remain unconvinced by these assertions. You can find out more about this by reading our poker review of Global.
There are quite a few transaction methods supported by internet poker sites. Some of the most common are credit cards, checks, and money transfer services. However, cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, is generally the best method of conducting deposits and withdrawals for online poker.
Bitcoin facilitates transactions with low fees and rapid turnaround times. Moreover, it's free from the cumbersome financial rules that plague banks and other financial institutions.
These days, there are other cryptos that are also accepted widely across the gaming industry. They include Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash.
It's possible to find out more about South Dakota's active gambling scene with these resources:
We strive to maintain this information and update it frequently with our research. However, we are not immune to making mistakes or omitting information that you, dear reader, may find of use. If you have any further questions not addressed in this guide or have noted any discrepancies or inaccuracies we urge you to contact us with your questions and concerns so that we may swiftly address them!
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