Pillar M · Community
Gambling
“The state shouldn't balance its budget on broken homes.”
Oppose video-lottery bet and limit increases. Oppose mobile sports betting. Families first.
Where I stand
- Oppose SB 226 (2026) and any further video lottery expansion that raises the cap or the per-machine bet.
- Oppose SJR 504 (2026), the electronic sports betting constitutional amendment on the November 2026 ballot. The Senate passed it 23-10 on February 11, 2026.
- Strengthen problem-gambling protections for families.
Pushback, answered
The hard questions, answered straight.
These are the real objections this position gets, with the same answers Zac gives in person. No talking points. No dodges.
“Gambling revenue funds education and important programs.”
State revenue should never come at the expense of the families paying taxes to support it. Gambling-funded programs trade one family's education benefit for another family's addiction, and that is not a trade South Dakota should accept. Fund government with honest taxes rather than on the backs of addicted citizens.
“Adults should make their own choices about gambling.”
They can and they will. Nothing I support removes anyone's ability to gamble where it is legal today. What I oppose is the state pushing more gambling in front of every South Dakotan through phones, apps, and expanded venues. Personal responsibility and state promotion of addictive behavior are not the same thing. Individual choice is preserved. State expansion is not owed to anybody.