Deadwood, South Dakota saw a decrease in year-over-year gaming revenue in September with the gaming handle dropping 5.4% from the same month last year.
The slot machine handle also saw a 6% decrease year-over-year. The sports wagering handle was up 60.5% over September of last year – which was the inaugural month of sports betting.
Gaming operators in Deadwood rewarded players with just under $1.5m in “free-play” for the month of September, leaving taxable adjusted gross revenues of $13,489,928 for September 2022.
Deadwood Gaming Association Executive Director, Mike Rodman, commented: "While September overall revenues were down slightly, 2022 has been another exceptional year for Deadwood gaming.
"We are currently close in year-to-date revenue with last year’s record-breaking year."
There was a bit of trouble in September for one particular casino in Deadwood, after it and one of its employees had their licenses revoked for placing illegal proxy bets on sporting events in the casino and engaging in other illegal activities.
Toby Keehn, owner of Mustang Sally’s sports bar and casino in downtown Deadwood, and Jennifer Haefs were issued a $25,000 fine that must be paid by October 31.
Text messages, surveillance video and transaction records showed that Haefs placed bets for Keehn and others at Mustang Sally’s. Proxy bet placing is a Class 6 felony which is punishable by up to two years imprisonment and a $4,000 fine.
Keehn told the South Dakota Commission on Gaming: "I'm incredibly sorry for my bad judgment."
The loss of the casino's retail license and sports-wagering license would close the establishment.
