Members of Hard Rock, the local community and civic leaders will be part of the opening for the Rocksino by Hard Rock Deadwood, which is expected to bring everything that the public knows about the Hard Rock brand “but on a smaller scale” than its other venues in bigger cities.

Jon Lucas, Chief Operating Officer at Hard Rock International, stated: “Hard Rock prides itself on being able to provide authentic and memorable experiences for our guests embodied by music and rich cultural history.

“We are thrilled to become a part of one of the most celebrated historic places in the US and provide an economic stimulus to the city of Deadwood.”

Included in the Rocksino property will be 86 slot machines, a full-service restaurant and bar, a historic patio with a wood fire grill, a VIP mezzanine, a retail store and guest rooms which are expected to open later this year. The location will also be a part of Hard Rock’s global loyalty program UNITY by Hard Rock Rewards.

As part of the grand opening, Hard Rock will partner with Tunnel to Towers to aid the Oglala Sioux Tribal Veterans Program. Further details of the collaboration are to be announced at the Grand Opening Guitar Smash at Outlaw Square on August 8, featuring headliner Sublime with Rome.

“As a community notorious for entertaining guests since 1876, Deadwood is excited to welcome Rocksino by Hard Rock as our newest, can’t-miss property,” added the Mayor of Deadwood, David Ruth.

“Our rich, old West history combined with the Hard Rock brand will enhance the Deadwood experience that we are known for. The Rocksino by Hard Rock is sure to be an additional gem luring visitors to our amazing community.”

The post Hard Rock to open Rocksino Deadwood property in August appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The approval from the SDCG will allow the B2B igaming and sports betting service provider to launch in the midwestern US state in the coming weeks, offering partners its sports wagering services in the Deadwood city area.

Dave McDowell, Chief Executive Officer at FSB, explained: “This exciting news is another strong step forward for FSB in North America and continues the rapid momentum we’ve enjoyed in the region in 2022.

“The smooth approval from the SDCG pays a huge tribute to the quality of our technology, services and people and as a true tier one global supplier puts us in a strong position to play a leading role in South Dakota and other key regulated global markets in the months and years ahead.”

Moreover, the entry into South Dakota will witness FSB provide its proprietary omnichannel sportsbook to its operator partners within the state. This will enable the company to “carefully curate” a sports betting experience tailored for its player base. 

The approval of its South Dakota entry comes after FSB discontinued its white label business to complete its transformation into a B2B only technology service provider.

Starting in 2019, following the firm securing a multi-million growth investment from private equity group Clairvest, FSB triggered a three year plan to transform its business into an end-to-end B2B software supplier operating model.

The post FSB lauds ‘smooth approval’ of South Dakota entry from SDCG appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Subject to license approval, the agreement will see FSB’s self-service betting kiosks distributed across 11 AGT-operated casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota. 

Furthermore, two of the 11 casinos will also be supported by the sports betting and igaming platform provider’s over-the-counter EPOS solution as the company eyes a global uptick.

Mike Trucano, founder and consultant to AGT, noted: “It’s been a pleasure working with FSB’s business development manager, Lisa Waterfield and Mike on this agreement. 

“We’ve been hugely impressed by their retail solution and look forward to distributing the FSB SSBT kiosks across 11 of our casinos.”

This new US venture for FSB follows on from the freshening up of their North American leadership team earlier this year, which saw Mike Van Ermen, vice president of pre-sales, and Bob Akeret, vice president of operations, join from Circa Sports and Resorts Digital Gaming respectively.

“This is a tremendous step forward for FSB as we continue to make progress in the North American market. AG Trucano has an outstanding reputation in South Dakota and we’re delighted to be building this partnership with them” Ermen explained.

“This deal is testament to the strength of our localised retail offering and the huge progress that FSB has made in 2021 in the US and globally. It’s great to see our momentum continuing.”

AGT has been operating in South Dakota since 1989 when gaming was legalised, and the organisation manages over 600 slots in the city of Deadwood. This venture will see them operate a single retail sportsbook across its 11 casinos.

Bart Hamm, president & owner, at Aces Full Inc (AG Trucano), added: “With the legalisation of sports betting in the city of Deadwood in 2020, we were keen to find a technically advanced US based team who would help us operate a retail sportsbook in our properties.

“FSB has a unique retail offering that gives us control and flexibility while allowing us to offer our patrons a sensational sports betting experience.”

The post South Dakota beckons as FSB secures AG Trucano retail sportsbook deal appeared first on CasinoBeats.

As part of the exclusive partnership, Liv Hospitality’s Tin Lizzie Gaming Resort and Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Resort will offer future retail and mobile sports betting in Deadwood.

Adam Greenblatt, BetMGM chief executive officer, commented: “Liv Hospitality’s prime resort locations in Deadwood make it an ideal partner for us. Together, we look forward to bringing the BetMGM sports betting experience to South Dakota sports fans.”

Pending regulatory approval, the BetMGM mobile app will be accessible within both previously mentioned Resorts at the beginning of next month. Moreover, the mobile app will complement a retail BetMGM Sportsbook that will include kiosks and counter wagering.

“BetMGM is an outstanding organisation that brings credibility to our new sports betting offerings,” Caleb Arceneaux, chief executive officer of Liv Hospitality, added. “Visitors now have another reason to come to Deadwood, while enjoying the many other entertainment opportunities at our resorts.”

The latest link-up from BetMGM follows the company’s partnership with Evolution earlier this month which introduced a pair of titles adorned with the branding of the Detroit Lions.

The post BetMGM aims for South Dakota introduction via Liv Hospitality appeared first on CasinoBeats.

IGT will provide the state lottery with an updated central system, business intelligence tools, new POS and self-service terminals, ongoing maintenance and retailer training.

The seven-year contract is set to begin on November 3, 2019, and allows for an additional eight extension years.

“IGT has been our primary lottery vendor since 2009, and with their support, we’ve been able to deliver more than $2.82bn to education, developing natural resources, and providing problem gaming treatment services since 1987,” said South Dakota Lottery executive director Norm Lingle.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with IGT to generate even more funds for these important causes in our state throughout the next seven years.”

IGT’s chief operating officer for lottery, Jay Gendron, added: “We are pleased to work with the lottery to deliver our industry-leading lottery solutions which will provide the flexibility to help evolve, manage, and grow the Lottery’s sales now and in the years ahead.

“These products will provide greater insight into player behaviour to help the lottery continue to deliver exciting games and content that players want.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the South Dakota Lottery will receive an upgraded lottery central system that includes components of IGT’s Aurora platform. These components deliver ease of use and convenience for the retailer, as well as actionable analytics for the lottery to continue to meet player demands. Additional point-of-sale and self-service lottery terminals will be implemented throughout the state.

The deal also means IGT will provide lottery apps including Retailer Wizard, Order Wizard and Performance Wizard, which will help South Dakota Lottery drive growth, more efficiently manage the business and support lottery retailers.

IGT will also utilise the iSpeak customised training programme to educate Lottery Sales Representatives on the new sales tools.

The post IGT seals seven-year South Dakota Lottery deal appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The senate in South Dakota voted 23-12 against giving voters a say on whether gambling activities should be expanded in the US state, pulling the rug from beneath the Port Yankton casino project in the process.

The move means that the issue will not appear on the November statewide election ballot, reports the Press & Dakotan.

Supporters of the Port Yankton scheme are seeking a single state-issued gambling licence for a single location but that would require a change to the South Dakota constitution, hence the need for a vote.

As the scheme sought backers, two tribes entered the fray – with supporters talking up the tribes’ experience in the gambling sector – but no tribe would be able to be involved in the operation of an off-reservation casino.

The tribes were the Yankton Sioux, which runs the Fort Randall casino, and the Santee Sioux, which operators a casino in Nebraska.

The post South Dakota senate votes down casino expansion appeared first on CasinoBeats.