After months of gaming numbers trending downward, there are signs in Deadwood of an upward swing. And, there's hope a proposed bill in the South Dakota legislature could cement the road to recovery.
The bill proposed by Senator Tom Nelson of Lead would raise the betting limit in Deadwood from $100 to $1000. It passed in the Senate late Monday afternoon and now goes before the House.
At the Deadwood Mountain Grand, where construction crews are working to make sure the new hotel opens by April, managers are hedging their bets the legislation will provide a boost.
"There is a feeling of optimism," Deadwood Mountain Grand General Manager Brad Hemmah said. "The thousand-dollar limit means a lot to us in that it allows us to market outside of the state and keep players in state."
Hemmah says the marketing power Deadwood would gain by being more competitive with states like Iowa, Minnesota, and Colorado, would be a win-win for the new hotel and the future visitors.
"It will help us employ some more people and give our players more options," Hemmah said.
Many other business leaders in town agree.
Ken Gienger, the General Manager of the Celebrity Hotel and Casino, says the success of past bet limit increases gives him hope that, if legislators play their cards right, this bill could provide the spark the local economy needs.
"Take a look at where we started with a $5 gaming bid. Then, it went to $100 and gaming went up," Gienger said. "We are anticipating the same thing is going to happen from $100 to $1000."
Gienger and Hemmah say in addition to that hope, there's a lot else to be excited about. Gaming numbers are finally trending upward. And, the town is benefiting from an influx of visitors and money directly related to the North Dakota oil boom.
"So, is raising the limit everything? No, it's not," Hemmah said. "But it's a good message to our people that we are attempting to compete."
