Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
SDPB Radio Coverage of the South Dakota Legislature. See all coverage and find links to audio and video streams live from the Capitol at www.sdpb.org/statehouse

Video Lottery Extension Bill Is Defeated

The South Dakota House defeated a bill to increase the amount of video lottery machines in a licensed establishment. Republican State Representative Dick Werner says this bill allows permitted buildings to increase the amount of video lottery machines from the current 10, to 15. Werner says video lottery does a lot for the South Dakota economy and this opens doors for more revenue.

"[Video Lottery], which has been around since 1989 and has generated 2.2 billion dollars in property tax relief. That’s equivalent to almost two fiscal year budgets, in their period of time that they’ve been around," Werner says.

Opponents to House Bill 180 say it promotes gambling.  They say gambling ruins the lives of South Dakotans every day and this measure shouldn't be supported. The bill was defeated by the House 44-26.

Nate Wek is currently the sports content producer and sports and rec beat reporter for South Dakota Public Broadcasting. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism Broadcasting and a minor in Leadership. From 2010-2013 Nate was the Director of Gameday Media for the Sioux Falls Storm (Indoor Football League) football team. He also spent 2012 and 2013 as the News and Sports Director of KSDJ Radio in Brookings, SD. Nate, his wife Sarah, and two kids Braxan and Jordy, live in Canton, SD.