The wild days of Deadwood's times of yore have come to life in an HBO series that has encouraged interest in the historic South Dakota town that was once home to 'Wild' Bill Hickok and many other exciting characters.

'Deadwood' airs on Sunday nights at 23H00 on HBO and has drawn a massive following in the States since its debut back in March.

It has also lured more people to the town wih many expecting an economic jackpot in the Black Hills.

"I think it's really going to put Deadwood on the map," said Tom Rensch, General Manager of the Silverado, Deadwood's largest casino.

The show focuses on the gaudy ambiance of a mining camp that was built in 1876.

The director of the local Adams Museum, Mary Kopco, said their web site attracts about 30,000 visits a month and did six million page impressions in April.

She said David Milch, who created the show, did extensive research at the Deadwood Library and at the Adams Museum, with events portrayed in the series based on accurate historical accounts.

"They really did their homework," said Kopco.

The show portrays Deadwood after gold was discovered in the Black Hills. For the first two years the mining camp was almost lawless.

"It's really turned people on to history in a way that I haven't seen for a long time. It's amazing how HBO has captured the essence of old Deadwood," said Kopko.

Nicole Nordbye, the agency's communications coordinator at the state Tourism Office, said that in recent weeks it has been flooded with inquiries.

"Internet traffic that's being generated by that show to any Web site regarding tourism in South Dakota is just as phenomenal," said Nordbye.

HBO viewers are increasing by the numbers confirmed George Milos , Executive Director of the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce Visitors Bureau.

"It's amazing how many people did not know that Deadwood is a real place. Many of those who contact us want to know if Deadwood is a real place," said Milos.

The Associated Press writes that the business community expects to benefit from HBO's showcasing of the towns rich history. As a mining town, modern Deadwood's fortunes have been on a decades-long slide until South Dakota voters legalised gambling and casinos opened their doors in November 1989.

Gaming Commissions Director, Larry Eliason, said about $7,5 billion has been bet in Deadwood since gambling commenced.

Of this $150 million in gambling revenues have been used for restoration and preservation of Deadwood, ranking it as the largest such project ever undertaken in the United States.

The town has 80 casinos and 1,400 residents but competition elsewhere has increased in the last ten years as legalised gambling spread across the USA.

"The HBO series will run for more than one season and its tourism offshoot will draw more people to Deadwood. We realize that gaming is no longer unique, and we want people to know that when they come to Deadwood they can see the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial and the Badlands," said Milos.

Many of the scenes have loads of swearing and people being killed in saloons and brothels. Historical records indicate that prostitution in Deadwood shot up in 1976 and operated almost continuously until finally shut down by authorities in 1980.

The show's language has turned off many older viewers, said Bill Walsh, owner of the Historic Franklin Hotel who once was a Catholic priest. "I have heard priests swear at some of the poker games we used to have at the St. Charles Hotel in Pierre, especially if some of those guys were World War 11 veterans," he said.