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There’s some optimism in the air in South Carolina. A brand-new bill is floating around that would legalize sports betting in South Carolina.
So much optimism that WSPA 7 News — a local network in the area — recently titled an article, “Bill to legalize online sports betting in South Carolina makes progress.” We hate to play spoiler, but we wouldn’t get too carried away with this bill. As we’re about to discuss in this article, we’re still a long, long way from every legalizing sports betting in the southern state.
What Is The Sports Betting Bill?
Republican Senator Tom David is behind the bill that’s being dubbed the Sports Wagering Act. The bill started in the House, and so far, is receiving bipartisan support, hence the optimism.
The bill, if passed, would allow for both in-person and online betting. As it stands, South Carolina is one of 11 states with zero sports betting market. The state is notoriously conservative, and gambling still carries some stigma. But that’s slowly diminishing, hence the bipartisan support.
The bill calls for a 12.5 percent tax on sportsbook revenue — a relatively modest rate compared to other states. We mean, New York taxes are at 51 percent, and Illinois had a sliding tax from 20 to 40 percent. Yes, those states are way bigger, but still, 12.5 percent sounds a little too pedestrian. It’s believed money collected will be funneled back into public education programs, but that’s not in the bill. Not yet at least.
Another notable detail is the legal betting age: South Carolina would allow users to place bets starting at 18 years old, which is younger than most states. The majority of places start wagering at 21 years of age. The likes of Wyoming and Rhode Island also take in bets starting at 18 years old, but it’s still not very common.
The bill doesn’t mention how many licenses will be given out. This varies wildly across states — some open it up to dozens of operators, while some only have one sports betting app (a monopoly essentially).
North Carolina’s Success Putting The Heat On Southern Neighbors
This is far from the first time that South Carolina has tried to legalize. We’ve been playing this song and dance for several years now since the federal ban on sports gambling was lifted in 2018. Still, attempts have gotten stronger and stronger as of late, mainly due to North Carolina’s sports betting success.
The neighbors up north launched legal sports betting in early 2024. Now over a year in, the verdict is out: it’s been a massive come up — more than originally anticipated. The North Carolina State Lottery Commission recently said the state expects to have netted $131.3 million in taxes from legal sports betting during the first full year. Originally, the state projected tax revenues could reach $100 million annually within five years. Welp, it did it in one.
As a lawmaker, it’s hard not to see that blowout success and think South Carolina can’t do similar numbers, adjusted for their smaller population, of course. Not only that, it’s believed the state has contributed to North Carolina’s success. Backers of the bill have argued that South Carolina residents living near the border, cross over to make bets. If true, this shows the growing appetite of locals who want to bet their teams like the Clemson Tigers or South Carolina Gamecocks.
“It’s a no brainer,” said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, a Democrat. “We shouldn’t have to have make people drive up to the border to try to get as close to this gate or change their VPN. So, they’re out there appearing to look like they’re in another state who are already doing it. We recognize that we need to get the tax revenue.”
Legalization Support Missing From Person That Matters Most
As mentioned, locals are largely on-board with the bill and gambling at-large. It’s nowhere near a 50-50 issue.
“[Approximately] 70% of South Carolinians support legalized sports wagering, believing that adults in this age should be allowed to bet on sports as a form of entertainment,” said Michelle McGregor with the Sports Betting Alliance, an influential group that advocates for legalization countrywide.
The bill is lacking support from the most important person to get this passed — Governor Henry McMaster. He has not by shy about his negative stance on the issue, and it doesn’t appear he’s budging.
“Gambling is bad for our culture,” he said. “It’s not a part of our heritage and there is a better way to make money to give [people] jobs,” he recently said.
Even if the bill clears the House and Senate, it could die with McMaster’s veto. Lawmakers do have the power to override that veto, but South Carolina’s conservative cohort likely wouldn’t undermine the governor — that would be akin to political suicide.
McMaster is in office through the end of 2026. Unless the political climate shifts dramatically or he changes his mind (unlikely), legalization will remain stalled. So while this bill has caught headlines and some cross-party support, the reality is that bettors in South Carolina probably won’t see legal sportsbooks anytime soon.
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