Legal Sports Betting In South Carolina
Sports betting is not regulated in South Carolina, but online sports betting is still available to citizens through various offshore bookmakers. In fact, it is one of the most anti-gambling states in the entire country.
State | South Carolina |
Sports Betting Law Passed | No β |
Launch date | N/A |
Minimum Gambling Age | 18 |
Online Sports Betting | Yes βοΈ |
Retail Sports Betting | No β |
Retail Casinos | No β |
It does not look like the state will be handing out licenses for sportsbooks within its jurisdiction. This is not all bad news for bettors in South Carolina. The regulatory standards for the sports betting landscape across the country is a markedly more open atmosphere.
South Carolina Sports Betting – Recent Updates
- August 3, 2024 – A renewed effort to legalize online sports betting in South Carolina is expected in January, with lawmakers likely facing significant pressure, according to *Statehouse Reports*.
- June 10, 2024 – North Carolina’s sports betting handle dipped to $398.2 million in June, its lowest since mobile wagering launched in March. However, total wagers have approached $2 billion in the four months since legalization.
- May 19, 2024 – Despite strong advocacy from several sportsbooks to create a sports betting app, legislators have shown little willingness to accommodate their requests.
- March 21, 2024 – There has been no progress on House Bill 3749 in South Carolina. Consequently, the primary online sports betting choice for bettors in the state remains an offshore betting site.
- January 22, 2024 – Reports indicate that the chances of sports betting being legalized in South Carolina within the year are slim, with the bill still in committee and facing several obstacles.
Top 5 South Carolina Sportsbooks
We take a close look at dozens of sportsbooks that are available in South Carolina. There are many South Carolina sports betting sites, but we only recommend the best. Here are our top five online sportsbooks in South Carolina.
Four Reasons to Bet on These South Carolina Online Betting Sites
When we make our recommendations, we take lots of different criteria into account. Here are four of the most important reasons to bet on these South Carolina sports betting sites.
Casinos in South Carolina
There are only four casinos in South Carolina. Here is the complete list:
- Big M Casino Ship
- Carnival Ecstasy
- Carnival Sunshine
- Big M Casino Ship 2
South Carolina Sports Betting Timeline
Things have moved slowly regarding South Carolina sports betting over the years. But, with a vision for the future, there are many lobbyists and elected government officials that are hoping to push sports betting into the mainstream in the coming years.
In order to keep up-to-date with the progress of legalisation in the state, we’ve put together some key articles from the last couple of years. Here is a summary of the history of South Carolina sports betting laws.
2023
Legislative endeavor: South Carolina considers online-only sports betting with HB 3749
The latest legislative effort, HB 3749, seeks inspiration from Tennessee by proposing the legalization of online-only sports betting. Having cleared its initial subcommittee, the bill is currently awaiting evaluation in the Ways and Means Committee, with the potential to progress to the house floor upon approval.
2022
Missed opportunity: South Carolina’s bid for sports betting in 2022
The prospect of legalizing sports betting in South Carolina hung in the balance with House Bill 5277. However, as time ran out for lawmakers to secure approval for online sports betting, insufficient support led to the bill’s demise. This marked the second consecutive year that the state deliberated on the possibility of introducing sports betting legislation.
2021
COVID has slowed down any progress with the bill
While there are many lobbyists in the state that are hoping that we’ll see some change in 2021, the lack of movement from elected officials means it’s unlikely that things will move forward. On top of that, we have endured a few years of COVID and this has also slowed things down considerably according to the Democratic candidate.Β
2020
House and Senate hope to push HJR 3409 and SJR 57
The House and the Senate entered into a joint effort that would have legalized many sorts of gambling. Casinos and sports betting would have been legalized under this framework.
HJR 3409 and SJR 57 would even have amended South Carolinaβs Constitution. However, the bills both died in their very first readings in committee.
Another resolution would have simply called for the creation of a committee to study the effects of sports betting. This also did not happen.