Deadwood casinos post gaming handle down by 13% to $101M in April; second month downturn in a row

Deadwood casinos have posted a downturn in gaming handle for the second month in a row in April, according to data released on Monday by the South Dakota Commission on Gaming. Total gaming handle -which combines slot machines, table games and sports wagering- for the month was $101.4 million, down 13% from the same month last year.

March’s handle was also down from the prior year, by 6.5%. The new April figure brings calendar year-to-date results to a lower amount than last year. Gaming venues in Deadwood have thus far posted $451.6 million in gaming handle in 2022, down 1.5% from the comparable period in 2021. 

On an individual basis, slot machines handle in April was down 13.7% versus last year to $94.8 million; while table games handle was also down by 7.2% to $6.3 million. There is no comparable period in 2021 for sports wagering, which amounted to $368,516 last month.

Taxable adjusted gross revenue from April’s operations was $9.1 million, which was subject to a 9%, leading to $820,661 in taxes. Individual data for sports betting has also been provided, which shows NCAA men's college basketball was the most bet-on sporting event, followed by Major League Baseball and the NBA.

Last month, Deadwood Gaming Association Executive Director Mike Rodman said the casinos are experiencing the effects of the national economic downturn, a trend that showed in April’s results as well, reports Rapid City Journal.

Additionally, weather in the region may have also played a role in the gaming handle decrease. "Deadwood gaming numbers were impacted by severe weekend winter weather in April,” Rodman said in a statement Monday, retrieved by the cited source.