Senators were divided over a bill that creates a voluntary list of people who aren’t allowed in certain gaming institutions. Members of the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee voted four to three to send Senate Bill 155 to the 41st legislative day.
Senate Bill 155 allows people with gambling addictions to voluntarily place themselves on a list excluding them from casinos. Supporters say the measure helps compulsive gamblers treat their addiction. Senator Billie Sutton spoke in favor of the bill.
“There are unintended costs of gambling here in South Dakota,” Sutton says. “And if we can create one more option for people who have trouble or have a problem with a gambling addiction, that’s what we’re sent here to do is to help folks maybe that don’t have the willpower to stop on their own. And this is just another tool for them to use.”
The bill was amended to only include Deadwood establishments, which some committee members disagree with. Senator Brock Greenfield is concerned the bill opens the door for future lawsuits.
“If you have a law such as this, somebody is bound to say, ‘I was on the list, and they let me in, and they’re responsible for my bad decisions once I was inside the casino,’” Greenfield says. “In an attempt to create more personal responsibility by virtue of a government program I think we’re actually taking some personal responsibility away.”
Senate Bill 155 did not garner enough support to pass through committee and was sent to the 41st legislative day.