A sparsely populated state of just about 750,000 people, South Dakota is usually known for its natural beauty, historic destinations, and for the large motorcycle rally that takes place every year in Sturgis. Yet, South Dakota casinos must also be acknowledged as a source that attracts the attention of many tourists each year. Additionally, South Dakota is home to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Black Hills National Forest, and the Crazy Horse Memorial.

South Dakota has six Indian Reservations including the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation and the Crow Creek Indian Reservation and the third largest population of Native Americans in the country, making it an ideal destination for people who wish to learn more about Native American culture. The capital city, Pierre, was founded as a fur trading post in 1817. The historic Lewis and Clark Trail also runs through the state. These, however, are not the only tourist destinations that this state has to offer. South Dakota is home to a number of casinos of all different sizes dispersed throughout the state both on Indian reservations and off.

Several South Dakota cities offer gaming to both residents and tourists. South Dakota Casinos and gambling are offered in Aberdeen, Deadwood, Eagle Butte, Flandreau, Fort Thompson, Huron, Lower Brule, McLaughlin, Mobridge, Pickstown, Pine Ridge, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Sisseton, Spearfish, Valentine, and Watertown. Most of these towns have just one or two small South Dakota casinos. For example, there are two South Dakota casinos in Sioux Falls: Gregg's Substation and Casino and Borrowed Buck's Roadhouse. Between the two they only have 20 slot machines and 4 table games.

The South Dakota town with the most casinos is Deadwood, which features 20 South Dakota casinos including the Silverado and the Tin Lizzie. Casinos in Deadwood range in size from one-room operations with a handful of slot machines to 30,000 square foot gambling complexes featuring live music, restaurants and hotel rooms, as well as the full range of gambling activities. Due to its many casinos and its proximity to national parks, Mount Rushmore, and Sturgis, Deadwood is considered to be the major destination for people looking to gamble in South Dakota Casinos.

Indian reservations are also a major destination for people looking for casinos in South Dakota. Like many of the small gambling towns in South Dakota, Indian reservations generally only have one or two casinos in a given town. However, those casinos are usually large with lots of slot machines and table games as well as restaurants and hotel rooms. Unlike South Dakota casinos in Deadwood, many Indian reservation casinos are open 24 hours, including Prairie Wind Casino in Pine Ridge on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the Grand River Casino and Resort in Mobridge on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.