South Dakota and its iconic historical gambling cities, most notably Deadwood, have long had a strong casino culture dating back to the gold rush. But, even though you can find a large number of brick-and-mortar casinos state-wide, South Dakota has yet to embrace the online gambling trends.
The state currently doesn’t license any online poker operators, leaving players with limited options. If you want to play poker online from South Dakota, you can only do so through a sweepstakes platform or an offshore real-money poker site.
Big welcome bonus
33% rakeback
Action packed games
Leading crypto site 
Very soft games
Free SC every day
Legal in the US
Trusted brand 
Super-soft games
5% instant rakeback
Quality web-based software
Great casino offer With the above in mind, regardless of which option you’re more interested in, you’ve come to the right place. On this page, we’ll go over the best online poker sites in South Dakota and cover other vital information you should know.
Can I Play Online Poker in South Dakota?
Yes, you can play online poker in South Dakota by signing up with an offshore poker platform or by playing on sweepstakes sites that use virtual currencies. That said, no state-licensed poker sites are currently available in South Dakota.
South Dakota Online Poker Facts
| Available options | Sweepstakes operators & offshore sites |
| State-regulated poker sites | Not available |
| Age limit for South Dakota online poker | 18+ |
| Best SD poker site | CoinPoker |
Best Online Poker Sites in South Dakota
Even though real-money poker sites are still not state-regulated in South Dakota, you can find quality options where you can enjoy online poker. Here are our top picks for the best online poker sites in South Dakota:
#1. CoinPoker – The Best Pick for South Dakota Players
CoinPoker is our go-to recommendation for every South Dakotan looking to play online poker for real money. This offshore cryptocurrency site allows players to play real-money No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Pot Limit Omaha 5 games in privacy. Tournament players can find a great daily and weekly schedule, as well as several big series throughout the year.
The site offers a fantastic 150% welcome deposit bonus worth up to $2,000. It also has an interesting 33% rakeback offer through its native CHP cryptocurrency. Besides these two bonuses, CoinPoker also delivers various leaderboards and bad beat jackpots that can be very valuable in boosting your bankroll.
#2 ClubWPT Gold – Top-Quality Sweepstakes Site Backed By WPT
Launched in 2025, ClubWPT Gold quickly rose through the ranks to become a leading sweepstakes poker site. The platform offers super-soft action and attracts a large player base, mostly casual and beginner poker players. Being a very young site, it is still constantly improving its platform and has recently added a multi-tabling option.
ClubWPT Gold currently only supports Texas Hold’em games, but you can find cash games and tournaments running around the clock. In terms of promotions, the most interesting bonus the site offers is its daily freerolls promo, which rewards you with free SC just for logging in and playing.
#3. Stake US – Very Soft Texas Hold’em and PLO Games
Stake US is a cryptocurrency sweepstakes site offering casino and poker games. Focusing on the latter, you can find Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha variations in tournament, ring game, and sit-and-go formats. While Stake US doesn’t have as large a player base as our previous two picks, the game softness more than makes up for it.
The platform offers a free welcome bonus of up to 55 SC and a 5% lifetime rakeback to all players. You can also typically find one or two other promotions running at all times, providing additional value through various bonuses offering Sweeps Coins.
Free Poker vs Real-Money Games
Sweepstakes poker sites offer South Dakota players a legal and entertaining alternative to traditional real-money poker sites. While real-money poker involves wagering actual cash directly on hands and tournaments, sweepstakes platforms operate through a dual-currency system that complies with U.S. sweepstakes laws.
Players purchase “Gold Coins” for entertainment play and receive free “Sweeps Coins” as a bonus. These Sweeps Coins can later be redeemed for cash prizes. This setup allows South Dakotans to enjoy poker tournaments, Sit & Go’s, and ring games online without violating the state’s strict gambling statutes.
Sweepstakes Model Explained
To understand how the sweepstakes model works, imagine you buy a $50 Gold Coin package on a site like ClubWPT Gold. Alongside thousands of Gold Coins you’ll receive that you can use for fun games, the purchase also includes 50 Sweeps Coins as a free promotional bonus.
You can use these Sweeps Coins to enter tournaments. Let’s say you win a tournament for a total of 200 Sweeps Coins. You can redeem your winnings for real cash. Sites generally offer a $1 for 1 SC exchange rate, meaning you could redeem and withdraw $200 from the site without participating in any real-money poker play.
Regulation Landscape in South Dakota
South Dakota has one of the longest-standing gambling traditions in the Midwest, dating back to the 1989 legalization of casino gaming in Deadwood. The state also expanded into tribal gaming through compacts negotiated with local tribes, creating a small but stable land-based poker market.
However, when it comes to online play, online poker legislation has never gained traction, and no bills addressing it have been introduced. Lawmakers have shown little appetite for expanding digital gaming, including online poker, citing conservative attitudes and a limited population base as reasons for caution.