State Rep. Greg Jamison, R-Sioux Falls, speaks to members of the media at the Capitol on Pierre on Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
PIERRE — A committee of state representatives rejected a measure that would have asked South Dakota voters to approve sports betting and use the resulting tax revenue to fund property tax relief.
Rep. Greg Jamison, R-Sioux Falls, carried Senate Joint Resolution 504 in the House of Representatives. Had it passed both chambers, the question of legalized sports betting would’ve appeared on the general election ballot Nov. 3.
Voters amended the state constitution in 2020 to legalize sports betting only in Deadwood and tribal casinos in South Dakota.
It is legal statewide in Wyoming and Iowa, among other states, and sports-betting smartphone apps and websites have proliferated nationwide.
“This mobile sports wagering is currently occurring in our state,” Jamison said. “It’s just either getting done illegally or across or near an imaginary line in the dirt.”
Opponents worry that gambling addiction, which can occur alongside depression and substance abuse, would force the state to pay more for social programs.
“We give you some property tax relief paid for by gambling addicts, but the promise is illusory,” said Michael Pauley of the South Dakota Catholic Conference. “In the long run, the gambling addiction is going to cost society more money than we gain.”
The committee voted 11-2 to defeat the resolution. The Senate had passed it 23-10 last month.
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