South Dakota wants more young gamblers

The South Dakota Lottery Commission wants to expand its selection of games available at local land casinos in a new initiative aimed at attracting a younger demographic to boost revenues….but internet gambling will remain off the table for now.

The Rapid City Journal reports that executive director Norm Lingle told a state Senate panel Tuesday that the lottery is considering adding progressive slot machine-style games with large jackpots, multi-player blackjack tables and more types of new machines to the gaming suites of local land casinos.

However, he stressed that Internet gambling isn’t on the menu.

Addressing the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee on the issue of online gambling, Lingle said: “There’s a lot of moving parts. Nobody’s sure where the dust is going to settle.”

Sen. Chuck Jones, a Republican who was at one time chief executive of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s casino, applauded Lingle’s approach, but he said that online gambling loomed large on the horizon and would have to be addressed.

“At some point, I think it’s inevitable. It’s going to happen,” he said.

South Dakota commissioned a study of the gambling market to establish the right direction for its expansion strategies as net machine income declined from $207.7 million in 2002 to $176.4 million in fiscal 2012. Fiscal 2013 showed a small improvement at $184.6 million.

The South Dakota state coffers receive 50 percent of net machine income generated by the land operations in the state.