Seven bipartisan lawmakers have prefiled a bill that would legalize online sports betting in South Carolina to the House of Representatives. The bill will be put into consideration when South Carolina begins its 2025 legislation session on Jan. 14.
The Sports Wagering Act (HB 3625) has been referred to the Committee on Ways and Means in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
This is not the first time legalizing sports betting has been a topic of discussion with South Carolina lawmakers. Multiple attempts have been made in recent years, only to fall flat due to outspoken detractors.
Should online sports betting pass in the state, it could crack the door into further gambling expansion, including online casinos. However, both still seem far off in South Carolina.
What’s included in South Carolina’s Sports Wagering Act
This latest proposed sports betting bill has regulations included. Operators would receive a maximum of eight licenses.
Tax on sports betting revenue is proposed at 12.5% in the bill, a competitive rate amongst states.
Professional, college and international sporting events would be included in the state if the bill passed. It also included e-sports and doesn’t contain restrictions when it comes to college wagers.
The proposal also features the legalizing of exchange betting, something only available in a few states. In exchange betting, two users can accept a bet between one other with odds they have agreed upon as opposed to ones set by the online sportsbooks.
Bill likely to see opposition from legislative leaders
The Sports Wagering Act will likely see a vote in the Committee on Ways and Means. From there, it would go to the House floor for a vote. Should the House pass the bill, it would move on to the Senate. If approved that, the bill would go to the desk of Gov. Henry McMaster.
McMaster is among those in South Carolina that are not in support of legalizing sports wagering. Through a spokesperson, he told WSPA ABC News 7:
Governor McMaster has long opposed sports betting and still does today. It is simply inconsistent with South Carolina’s values.
Though online sports wagering would bring in added tax revenue for the state, University of South Carolina Sports Entertainment Management Professor Mark Nagle told WSPA ABC News 7 that legalizing sports betting in the state would only have so much positive impact.
Is it gonna be the golden goose that’s gonna lay gold eggs everywhere in the entire societal structural is gonna be changed for the better? Probably not, but it should be a net positive.
Where do online casinos stand in South Carolina?
Sports betting is legal in 38 US states, along with Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
Gambling is not a popular option in the Palmetto State. Not only does South Carolina not offer online sportsbooks or casinos, it doesn’t even feature commercial casinos. The state does have casino boating options, but all of the wagering actually takes place on international waters.
Advancement of sports betting could do more to open the door for online casinos in South Carolina. However, it’s hard to imagine a state progressing with iCasinos before actually establishing legalized and regulated commercial casinos.
South Carolina currently has no plans to advance commercial gambling in the state. With construction time and approval procedures, it will be years and months before any headway can be made on that front.
One option residents of the state do have is sweepstakes casinos. These social casinos have helped fill the void for players looking to fill their entertainment and gambling void in the state.
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