Deadwood casinos can re-open after license switch

Talk about it

PIERRE – The state Commission on Gaming approved the reassignment of two retail licenses so that two Deadwood properties can be re-opened as gambling casinos.

The properties at 616 and 618 Main Street had been the Wild West Winners and Bad-lands Gaming casinos before they shut down in April 2010 amid financial problems.

KLK Venture subsequently regained control of the property and now plans to operate casinos in two of the 10 rooms at the connected addresses under the name Deadwood Badlands.

Spearfish lawyer Dick Pluimer manages KLK Venture for the estate of Kenneth L. Kellar. Pluimer said there will be a mix of gambling and retail, along with a restaurant and a bar.

“We hope to conduct a whole host of activities,” he said.

Pluimer represented Richard Turbiville, a long-time figure in Deadwood gambling, during the special meeting Thursday.

The commission renewed a retail license Turbiville had previously held. Then the commission reassigned that license and a second retail license currently held by Turbiville to the new locations, located across Main Street from the Mineral Palace.

Under state law, Turbiville was responsible for the cost of conducting the conference-call meeting because it wasn’t a regularly scheduled meeting of the commission.

Tags: news, updates, gambling, deadwood, casinos