The State is one step closer to penny video lottery machines.
Senate Bill 52 passed through the House Commerce and Energy Committee on Wednesday. The bill is in part designed to make the penny an eligible denomination on South Dakota video lottery machines. The maximum payout of one-thousand dollars will not change. Supporters of the bill say it is not an expansion of gaming but instead works within the current framework and is simply a means to keep the South Dakota lottery a viable and sustainable source of revenue for the State.
But not everyone agrees that this is good for South Dakotans. Representative Stace Nelson says he opposes the bill.
“I’m all for giving South Dakotans the right to do as they please but also in this aspect I realize that the government involvement in this – we’re not talking about magical money – we’re talking about money that is often taken from the people that need it the most. Folks are having a hard time making it here in South Dakota and I really am uncomfortable about the fact that we as a Government are involved in trying to take that money away from them in such a mischievous fashion because these games are not designed to give these people money, they’re designed to take money away from them,” says Nelson.
Other opponents spoke out against the bill saying that gaming in general is very addictive and not in the best interest of South Dakotans. They add that gambling spurs other crimes like burglary, writing bad checks, and child neglect. South Dakota legalized gaming in 1989.