South Carolina lawmakers are poised to give sports wagering legislation another shot when the General Assembly convenes a new session in January. Despite two recent failed attempts to bring mobile sports betting to the state, the success of neighboring North Carolina could push South Carolina policymakers to advance similar bills next year. In 2022, a measure to legalize sports betting in South Carolina cleared the House but stalled in the Senate.
Last year saw the introduction of two sports betting bills, one of which aimed to support the state’s horse racing industry. Both bills made headway in the House but didn’t even reach a vote in the Senate. Rep. Chris Murphy (R-Dorchester County) noted at a March 2023 committee hearing that the state was losing out on significant revenue because many residents were betting through illegal offshore sites. “Studies have shown that there is about $2.5 billion annually that’s being wagered online in South Carolina illegally,” he said. “The hope of this legislation would be to eradicate that illegal wagering.”
Even if lawmakers manage to pass a sports betting bill through the Senate, its chances of becoming law remain slim due to Gov. Henry McMaster’s (R-SC) opposition to wagering expansion—a stance that was a key component of his 2022 campaign platform.
While McMaster is unlikely to endorse sports betting legislation, South Carolina politicians seem determined to try again, looking to North Carolina for inspiration. Although North Carolina is roughly twice the size of South Carolina, mobile sports betting has been a major success for the Tar Heel State. Since its launch in March, the total handle reached over $2.55 billion by the end of July, translating to nearly $49 million in new tax revenue for the state. Notably, North Carolina has yet to benefit from a football season, which is the most bet-on sport in the US.
South Carolina remains one of the more restrictive gaming states in the country, with no land-based commercial or tribal casinos, save for a lottery and a few pari-mutuel facilities. However, the potential market for sports wagering in South Carolina is substantial. Home to an estimated 5.37 million people at the end of last year, the state is larger than several others that offer mobile betting, including Louisiana, Kentucky, Connecticut, Iowa, and Kansas. Furthermore, the state is experiencing rapid growth, with many new residents coming from regions where sports betting is a cultural norm, particularly the Northeast.
Though South Carolina lacks professional teams from major North American sports leagues, it boasts passionate fan bases for Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. The state also hosts annual NASCAR and PGA Tour events, making it an attractive market for sports betting firms.
