The South Dakota Commission on Gaming (SDCG) recently issued fines to three operators engaged in illegal gambling activities. Mustang Sally’s and Internet Sports International (ISI) are both alleged to have taken two wagers on the NCAA tournament before the teams were even announced. 16573y
Meanwhile, Gold Dust Hotel and Casino is said to have accepted two bets on college basketball events featuring the South Dakota State University (SDSU). Those were in addition to four future wagers taken by the same venue on the NCAA tournament before the teams got determined.
The three companies each got a $3,000 penalty for the offenses. Fortunately, the employees responsible for these acts didn’t receive hefty fines. According to the state’s gambling legislature, those involved should expect fines of between $150 and $300 for each accepted wager exceeding the specified limit.
Besides the three operators, the SDCG has fined other entities as well. Two casino employees received separate fines for accepting NFL wagers that exceeded the $1,000 cap limit. Joseph Gasper III took a $1,300 bet on an NFL event, earning a $350 penalty. Sara Stone requested a casino employee to take a wager worth $1,300 on an NFL event. For authorizing the wager, she received a fine worth $150.
Danny Burr, a dealer at Cadillac Jack’s, was said to have an extra Queen of Diamonds within his poker deck. For that, he earned a $100 fine.
Another venue targeted by the South Dakota Commission on Gaming was Willy’s Wild West. Located at Gold Country Inn, it received a $2,500 fine for not checking its surveillance equipment. According to the state regulator, every venue must inspect its surveillance equipment daily.
Sportsbooks in the state started operating in September 2021 at five Deadwood casinos. These are:
But just a few months in, some of the state’s approved sportsbook operators were already receiving fines. These were for casino employees accepting wagers above the $1,000 cap limit in at least four of South Dakota’s operational sportsbooks.
According to the state’s laws, local operators should not accept bets for events featuring university teams from South Dakota. Besides that, they’re also not allowed to make wagers on tournaments when the participating teams haven’t been chosen. These are among the laws that operational sportsbooks in the area grapple with as they adjust to offering sports bets to their residents.
Despite these infractions, the industry continues to receive from bettors. Since its launch in September, there was a 14% spike in profits compared to the same period in 2020. That was before the legalization of sports betting in South Dakota. Moving to October, revenue rose by 20% from the previous year.
As a result, the Deadwood Gaming Association is looking into increasing sports betting authorizations for residents. That is for options like MLB futures bets, and live, collegiate, and parlays betting varieties.
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