South Dakota Online Poker - play for real money on these legal sites in 2023!

Can I play online poker in South Dakota? The answer is yes!

Is it legal to play online poker in South Dakota? The answer to this is also yes!

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. The number of South Dakotans is pretty small at well under a million, so the state isn't exactly actively courted by online operators, but on the other hand, they're not really going out of their way to avoid it either.

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. Going to Deadwood or one of the Native territories might subject you to significant travel times, waiting lists, and the other annoyances of live tables. Online poker allows you to indulge in your card-based hobby while avoiding these hassles. All the rooms we recommend feature a diverse array of game types and stakes, so it's pretty easy to find a table you like.

The authorities in The Mount Rushmore State don't target individual online poker players. To our knowledge, there has never been an arrest or prosecution against people who choose to wager on cards from their homes in South Dakota. This mirrors the situation in the rest of the United States where, despite the loudmouth proclamations of fearmongering bureaucrats, no private citizen or resident has ever seen charges brought against him or her under any of the allegedly relevant statutes, like the UIGEA, for enjoying virtual poker games.

The online selection for South Dakotan players consists of a number of sites that vary in terms of games spread, stakes offered, and promotional deals available. 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.

1

IGNITION

BONUS:

150% up to $1,500

★★★★★

4.7 / 5

BEST SD ONLINE POKER SITE FOR OVERALL TRAFFIC

NETWORK:

PAIWANGLUO

EXTRAS

CASINO

MORE INFO

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Ignition boasts the most simultaneously active players of any site for South Dakotans. The bustling lobbies contain NL Hold'em, PL Omaha, and PL Omaha-8 cash games, fast-fold Zone Poker pools, regular sit-n-gos, lottery-style Jackpot Sit & Go, and many multi-table tournaments. Among the MTTs are a weekly $150K guaranteed, monthly million-dollar tourney, and series that regularly pay out eight figures in prize money. Your screenname is anonymized here, protecting you from sharks who might want to target you.

The Ignition Poker client runs on Windows and Mac machines, and there's a web interface that's compatible with iOS and Android too. When you make your first deposit via Bitcoin, you'll get a 150% up to $1,500 bonus for poker and another 150% up to $1,500 to use in the casino.

VISIT IGNITION POKER NOW

2

SB POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000

★★★★★

4.5 / 5

BEST SD ONLINE POKER SITE WITH BAD BEAT JACKPOT

NETWORK:

CHICO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

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Bad Beat Jackpots are a fixture of live poker where they make the games more fun, but they are sadly lacking at most US-friendly online poker rooms. SB Poker is an exception because there are two BBJs available to be won: one for regular NLHE tables and another for the fast-fold Boost format. Besides these two games, you can also enjoy ring games in PLO, PLO/8, and Six Plus Hold'em as well as SNGs, lottery-inspired Windfall games, and multi-table tourneys.

Sportsbetting.ag Poker has developed software for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS X. Whichever version you use, you'll get a 100% up to $1,000 poker bonus on your initial deposit.

VISIT SB POKER NOW

3

BETONLINE

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000

★★★★★

4.4 / 5

BEST SD ONLINE POKER SITE FOR MOBILE USERS

NETWORK:

CHICO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

READ REVIEW

Of all the internet poker rooms that work on phones and tablets, BetOnline has perhaps the best mobile client. It offers the same plethora of game types and formats that are present on the desktop versions of the software, and the action moves smoothly and intuitively even on a smaller screen. Beyond just enjoying the poker room, you can also play in the casino and bet on sports from your smart device.

In addition to installers for iOS and Android, BetOnline also provides downloads for Mac and PC. The new poker player bonus is 100% up to $1,000.

VISIT BETONLINE NOW

4

BOVADA

BONUS:

100% up to $500

★★★★★

4.2 / 5

BEST SD ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BETTING ON SPORTS

NETWORK:

PAIWANGLUO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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When you play at Bovada, you'll have access to the same poker tables and games as at Ignition because the two sites are partners. However, Bovada has an ace up its sleeve: It contains a sportsbook, which is not the case at Ignition. Here, you can bet on baseball, basketball, football, and all your other favorite sporting diversions. Indeed, you can also bet on horse races, eSports, and all sorts of other contests that do not fall within the ambit of traditional “sports.”

You can download Bovada for a PC or Mac. Furthermore, there's a web client that's compatible with iOS, Android, and other OSes. The poker first deposit bonus is 100% up to $500, and there are additional bonuses for casino gaming and sports betting.

VISIT BOVADA NOW

5

AMERICAS CARDROOM

BONUS:

100% up to $2,000

★★★★★

4.1 / 5

BEST SD ONLINE POKER SITE FOR TOURNAMENT PLAYERS

NETWORK:

WINNING

EXTRAS

$10 FREE

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Americas Cardroom boasts a full complement of poker games, including cash tables (NLHE, PLO, PLO/8, LO/8, LHE, 7CS), fast-fold Blitz Poker, normal sit n' gos, and random-multiplier Jackpot Poker. But the highlight of this room is the tournament section where you'll encounter a $1 million guaranteed event every Sunday, $5+ million guaranteed VENOM tourneys a couple of times per year, and series that guarantee tens of millions every couple of month.

ACR software comes in two flavors: Windows and Mac OS. There is a mobile platform, but it is very limited and lists only a small subset of the games present. With our exclusive ACR bonus code PRB10FREE, you can obtain a free $10 no deposit bonus and then redeem a 100% up to $2,000 bonus on your first deposit.

VISIT AMERICAS CARDROOM NOW

6

COIN POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $700

★★★★★

4.0 / 5

BEST SD ONLINE POKER SITE FOR CRYPTO GAMING

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

33% RAKEBACK

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Of the numerous poker sites that have a crypto-currency focus, CoinPoker is the largest. It denominates its games in USDT (Tether) although you can conduct deposits and withdrawals in several other coins, like Ether and Bitcoin, besides Tether. The gaming lineup here includes NL Hold'em, PL Omaha, 5 Card Omaha, and Open Face Chinese. Leaderboards run every week and month to put more money into the hands of dedicated cash game and MTT grinders.

Coin Poker has developed software for PCs, Macs, iOS devices, and Android phones and tablets. CoinPoker boasts three exceptional deposit bonuses including a 100% bonus of up to $700, a 100% bonus of up to $300, and a 100% bonus worth up to $100. Another advantage to playing at CoinPoker is that players can get 33% rakeback by holding the proprietary CHP token.

VISIT COIN POKER NOW

7

EVERYGAME

BONUS:

200% up to $1,000

★★★★★

3.8 / 5

BEST SD ONLINE POKER SITE FOR PROMOTIONS

NETWORK:

HORIZON

EXTRAS

CASINOS, SPORTSBOOK

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Everygame's modest roster of games is supplemented nicely by the incredible promotional value available. When you sign up by following our links, you'll get 36% rakeback forever, but this is just the beginning. Every week, there's a rake race that distributes $4,000 amongst the winners, and reload bonuses are provided every couple of months. Add in the loyalty program and many frequently changing time-sensitive promos, and it's easy to boost your bankroll beyond just your winnings at the tables.

Everygame's standard poker client works only on Windows machines, but those with other hardware can log in through the Instant Play portal on the web. Newcomers to the poker room get a 200% up to $1,000 bonus along with 25 free spins to use in the attached casino.

VISIT EVERYGAME NOW

8

SWCPOKER

BONUS:

NONE

★★★★★

3.6 / 5

BEST SD ONLINE SITE FOR MANY POKER FORMATS

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

FREEROLLS

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With its roots in the old SealsWithClubs, SwCPoker is a pioneer in the realm of Bitcoin gaming although it has added Bitcoin Cash to its operations as well. The selection of poker variants here is astounding and encompasses Hold'em, Omaha, Razz, Draw Games, Open Face Chinese, mixed games like HORSE, and much more. Promotions like no-rake micro-stakes and freerolls allow you to boost your profits.

SwCPoker runs on Android, iOS, Mac OS, and Windows. This room lacks a signup bonus, but you can get up to 50% rakeback weekly through the Krill rewards system.

VISIT SWCPOKER

9

NITROBETTING

BONUS:

100% up to 25 mBTC

★★★★★

3.3 / 5

BEST SD ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BITCOIN FANS

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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Nitrobetting conducts all of its cashier functions and gaming solely in Bitcoin BTC. Perhaps this is why it's able to deliver payouts with blazing speed: seldom more than a couple hours. You can play No Limit Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, Short Deck Hold'em, and Crazy Hold'em here. Most traffic is found in the cash games section although there is some SNG action and a few tournaments every day.

Because Nitrobetting Poker runs in your browser, it works with just about every modern computing system, including mobile systems. The first deposit bonus is a 100% match up to 25 mBTC.

VISIT NITROBETTING NOW

How to Choose the Best Online Poker Site For Your Style of Play

We've presented you with our recommendations for the leading online poker sites, but we understand that you may still have some doubts as to which one(s) to register for. This is a complex decision that leads to different answers for different people, but there are some general rules of thumb that can assist you in making your decision:

How Do I Receive Withdrawals and Payouts?

The ways of funding your account and requesting cashouts vary from site to site and include such old-school methods as credit cards, checks, and wire transfers. A few years ago, Americans had to put up with lengthy withdrawal timeframes and sometimes exorbitant fees.

The rise of the digital cryptocurrency Bitcoin put an end to all that because every poker room on our list supports this innovative payment solution. When you transact in bitcoins, you can avoid waiting around for weeks, and you'll also only have to pay a small fee each time you wish to move money around. We therefore advise all our readers to use Bitcoin and to read this guide on getting started with this virtual currency.

Alternatives to Registering Your Poker Account in South Dakota

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.

Lack of knowledge about online poker causes many who would otherwise play to avoid the pastime. If you've found this article informative, then please consider sharing it with those among your friends and family whom you believe would appreciate it.

Facts About South Dakota's Poker Industry

The section below aims to provide factual information detailing the legality of online poker, state regulation, and the rich history involving gambling and poker.

The Legality of Playing Poker Online in South Dakota

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.

The South Dakota codified laws contain an entire chapter, 22-25A, that runs on for pages and describes exactly what constitutes internet gambling and the penalties involved. The important thing to realize is that all the wording in this section of the law addresses those providing the games, not the individual players. Operators who violate the terms of this law are dealt with as follows (22-25A-10):

Violation a felony. Any person who violates § 22-25A-7 or § 22-25A-8 is guilty of a felony as follows:
(1) For a first offense, a Class 6 felony;
(2) For a second or subsequent offense, a Class 5 felony.

For insight into how the state treats individual gamblers, we must turn to the South Dakota laws that deal with gambling in general rather than those that specifically handle internet betting. They're listed in Chapter 22-25, "Gambling and Lotteries." The most important part is 22-25-1:

Gambling defined--Keeping gambling establishment--Letting building for gambling--Misdemeanor.
Any person who engages in gambling in any form with cards, dice, or other implements or devices of any kind wherein anything valuable is wagered upon the outcome, or who keeps any establishment, place, equipment, or apparatus for such gambling or any agents or employees for such purpose, or any person who knowingly lets any establishment, structure, place, equipment, or apparatus for such gambling is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

This phrasing about “gambling in any form with cards” is especially problematic because it's worded in such a broad way that any number of activities might be included, including poker. This law was drafted decades ago, and while it's still on the books, it's almost never enforced today. 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.

South Dakota B&M Gambling

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.

Bingo, raffles, and other charitable games have their adherents although they must comply with certain restrictions intended to ensure that the organizations offering them are really non-profit entities. Parimutuel betting is another activity that's theoretically permitted although there's hardly any live horse racing within South Dakota, so this point is moot.

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.

Typical is the poker room at Cadillac Jack's Gaming Resort in Deadwood. Its six tables are open for action starting at 11 a.m. every day. Spread-limit games are the most popular here with pretty low limits, like $3 – $15. However, when the room gets busy, you'll find a larger spread, like $10 – $300, which emulates true No Limit poker pretty well.

Cadillac Jack's also runs $50 + $10 tournaments every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday along with a $120 + $20 event every Wednesday. Promotions include a Bad Beat Jackpot and comps through the Cadillac Club rewards program.

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.

State Regulation

Due to the strict prohibitions against offering gambling over the internet, it would seem that a lot of effort would need to go into lobbying for repeals or exemptions under the existing laws. Given the tiny population of the state, it's unlikely that there will be much demand for licensed online poker either on the part of the public at large or worldwide gambling corporations. Even if a regulatory framework for internet gambling were set up, it would have almost no chance of survival unless inter-state agreements were made to share player pools with other states. In short, we find it unlikely that South Dakota will implement a fully legal online poker regime anytime soon.

South Dakota's Gambling and Poker History

Early settlers in South Dakota, when it was still just a part of the Dakota Territory, were a rough-and-tumble mixture of land speculators, fur traders, and homesteaders. The discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874 drew in a rush of prospectors and miners along with businesses to serve them.

The lawless town of Deadwood sprang up seemingly overnight, and it became a hub for gambling and prostitution. Poker was on the menu, and many famous individuals, on both sides of the law, could be found taking a seat for an evening of Five Card Draw.

“Wild Bill” Hickock

One of the avid poker enthusiasts to travel to South Dakota was James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, who had worked as a vigilante, train driver, gunman, soldier, and U.S. marshal among other occupations before heading to Deadwood to seek his fortune in 1876. He only had a few months to display his skill or lack thereof at the tables because he was shot and killed while playing.

On Aug. 1, he cleaned out the bankroll of Jack McCall in a game at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon and then gave him some money to buy dinner with. McCall was incensed and returned the next day to find Hickok playing again. Jack drew his Colt .45 and fatally shot Wild Bill Hickok in the back of the head.

After two trials (the first one, in which McCall was acquitted, was deemed invalid), Jack McCall was found guilty and hanged. Hickok had been holding two pair, black aces and black eights, at the time of his death, and this hand has since been known as “Dead Man's Hand.” The identity of Wild Bill's fifth card is not known for sure and is a matter of speculation.

“Poker Alice” Ivers

"Poker Alice" Ivers was another colorful character from South Dakota's "Wild West" days. She met and married an engineer with a fondness for cards in Colorado Territory. It was he who taught her how to play poker. Her husband died in a mining accident, and Alice moved to Deadwood in 1890.

She met her next husband while she was employed as a dealer at Bedrock Tom's saloon. An irate patron threatened a fellow dealer, Warren Tubbs, with a knife, but Alice got the drop on the miscreant and shot him in the arm. This set the stage for romance, and Warren and Alice were soon married.

Throughout her life, Poker Alice could be found playing poker, operating saloons, and bootlegging. She kept up her appearance by wearing the latest fashions from New York, and many men were drawn to the tables by the then-unusual spectacle of a woman gambling for serious money – and winning.

As was the case with many former frontier areas, South Dakota opted to clean up its act when it achieved statehood in 1889. The constitution of the state disallowed any type of gambling.

The story since then has been one of legislative carveouts and revisions to the constitution to open up varying types of games of chance. 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.

To summarize the historical events related to gambling that have occurred in South Dakota, our team has created a detailed historical gambling timeline, which can be found below.

Famous South Dakota Poker Players

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.

Poker Hall of Famer Layne Flack

Layne was born in 1969 and graduated high school in 1986. He attended college while working as a dealer in casinos in Deadwood. But he soon started making more money as a player, which he enjoyed more than either college or being a dealer, so he quit both and focused on poker full time.

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 total six gold bracelets that he collected during his career.

The largest tournament payday that Layne Flack won was a first-place finish at the 2008 WSOP $1,500 PLO event, which was worth $577,725. His second largest cash was a 2004 runner-up finish in the $6,200 NLHE event at the Ultimatebet.com Poker Classic for $500,000.

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.

Other Types of Online Gambling

Although our main topic of discussion has been poker, there are many other gambling options available online including table games, slots, and sports betting. We have thoroughly evaluated numerous operators that cater to players from South Dakota and we will provide our top recommendations for internet casinos and sportsbooks below. We only recommend brands that we have personally used.

Online Casinos

There are some three dozen or so casinos dotted across the South Dakota landscape, so you have no shortage of terrestrial casinos to frequent if you should so choose. However, by playing over the internet, you can avail yourself of a greater selection of games, a wider range of permitted bet sizes, and the convenience of enjoying the games without leaving your home.

Of the plethora of online casinos doing business in North Dakota, we can highly recommend three of them.

1. Cafe Casino - PRB EXCLUSIVE Bitcoin Bonus: 350% up to $5,000

2. Wild Casino - As Much as $9,000 in Bonus Funds Over 5 Deposits

3. Ignition Casino - Welcome Bonus of 150% up to $1,500 When You Make a Crypto-Currency Deposit

Many other upstanding casino operators extend their services to South Dakota and the rest of the United States. You can read up on them with this overview of the best trusted online casino organizations.

Online Sportsbooks

Licensed South Dakota sports betting is now a reality, but only if you're physically present at a live casino with a sportsbook and only in Deadwood. If you would rather benefit from the ease of placing your own bets from your own computer, then you can instead sign up with an offshore bookmaker.

There are many solid online sportsbooks and others that are disreputable. We have done the research to discover the best ones for South Dakotans, three of which are listed below.

1. Bovada Sports - BTC 1st Deposit Bonus of 75% up to $750

2. Sportsbetting.ag - 100% up to $1,000 on Your First Crypto Deposit

3. Everygame Sports - Up to $750 in Welcome Bonuses

There are other honest sportsbooks that accept American customers, and you can learn about them on this page describing the leading USA online sports betting sites.

BACK TO TOP

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!