A non-Indian casino opposed by tribes in two states has been sidelined for now in South Dakota.
The
State Senate voted 13 to 22 on Monday to kill Senate Joint Resolution 5, a bill that would have put the
Port
Yankton Project to a vote of the people. Among those voting against
advancing the measure were two Indian lawmakers -- Sen. Troy Heinert (D), who is Rosebud Sioux and
serves as the Democratic leader in the chamber, and Sen. Red Dawn Foster (D), who is Oglala Sioux.
The
Yankton Sioux Tribe operates the
Fort
Randall Casino and Hotel, only about an hour's drive from the proposed development along the Missouri River. Across the border in Nebraska, the
Santee Sioux Nation expressed concerns about a facility only 40 minutes from its
Ohiya Casino and Resort.
Non-Indian gaming is already legal in
Deadwood
in South Dakota. Facilities there offer slot machines, card games and dice
games.
Under the
Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act, tribes are entitled to offer the same types of games
that are legal in a state. But the state has limited most tribes to just 250
slot machines as part of their
Class III
gaming compacts.
In total, the Deadwood casinos offer more than 3,200 slot machines,
according to the
South
Dakota Commission on Gaming's most recent annual report. That's far more
than the nine tribes with gaming compacts.
Despite the defeat in the South Dakota Legislature, proponents of the casino in Port Yankton could still organize a petition drive in hopes of putting the issue on the ballot in 2020, according to news reports. A decision hadn't been made on that angle.
Read More on the Story
South Dakota senators defeat Yankton casino proposal
(The Sioux Falls Argus Leader February 26, 2019)
Voters would have been asked to give a nonprofit a gambling license in Yankton
(The Associated Press February 26, 2019)
Port Yankton Bill Falters In State Senate
(The Yankton Press & Dakotan February 25, 2019)
Senate Rejects Port Yankton Resolution
(KYNT February 25, 2019)
Port Yankton Resolution Clears Senate Committee
(WNAX February 14, 2019)
Port Yankton Proposal Slips Through Senate Committee
(The Yankton Press & Dakotan February 13, 2019)
Join the Conversation
Related Stories
An
expansion of gaming looms in South Dakota over tribal concerns (June 6,
2018)
Tribes
object to proposal for non-Indian casino in South Dakota (January 31, 2018)
