Legal sports betting took a step forward through the legal pipelines in South Dakota this week after a House panel advanced Senate Joint Resolution 501. This resolution will place the question of sports betting in the state on the 2020 general election ballot. It wasn’t an easy win for the resolution to advance in the House, with a tight 7-5 voting in favor.
The lead sponsor of Resolution 501, Bob Ewing said that the issue will be brought to South Dakota voters should it be passed. The state requires its constitution to be amended in order to expand its gambling laws to allow sports betting.
“If passed through, it will go right to the secretary of state’s office to be put on the ballot for everyone in our great state to vote on,” said Ewing.
One of the reasons for South Dakota to push the bill is the fact that several states around it have either passed – or are in the process of passing – sports betting laws. A total of 14 states so far have given the green light to legal sports betting, ever since the US Supreme Court nixed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018.
Ewing pointed out that Iowa is doing very well with its sports betting industry and said that “a lot of South Dakota folks that want to participate (in sports betting activities) are traveling over to Iowa.”