Legislation was proposed during the 2009 session that would have allowed South Dakota voters to decide if they wanted to expand gambling outside the reservations and Deadwood. The proposal passed the Senate, but failed in the
Only 16 percent of Sioux Falls voters surveyed support building a competing casino in southeastern South Dakota. 65 percent of voters oppose the idea.
"I think there's a lot of people in South Dakota who don't utilize, or don't participate in the whole gambling event we have here," Sioux Falls City Council member Greg Jamison said.
Jamison has spoken out about his concerns that the Iowa casino will draw revenue across the border. He says voters might be singing a different tune about another casino once the Grand Falls Casino Resort opens its doors.
"As soon as those same gambling dollars start leaving our state we as citizens of the state will realize we were missing out on a lot," Jamison said.
The poll also asked the question statewide, and 28 percent of registered South Dakota voters said the state should expand gambling outside Deadwood gambling halls and reservation casinos.
Sixty-three percent of the state's don't think the state should expand gambling, and 9 percent aren't sure.
Developers of the new Grand Falls Casino in Iowa say they aren't shocked by the results.
"I think they are interesting, but really I'm not surprised by them. We're proud that we're going to have Grand Falls Casino Resort as part of the Sioux Empire, and the tri-state region," Grand Falls Casino Resort General Manager Sharon Haselhoff said.
To get a closer look at the KELO-TV/Argus Leader poll results on gambling click here.
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