South Carolina lawmakers will grow to be the primary within the nation to debate legalizing sports activities betting in 2026.
A listening to has been scheduled for February 18 within the Senate Labor & Commerce Subcommittee to debate S444.
The laws was first launched final yr, however didn’t obtain any consideration till now. The invoice proposes legalizing on-line sports activities betting and establishes the South Carolina Sports activities Wagering Fee to manage the market.
The newly created playing regulator can be a state public physique with 9 members appointed by the governor and legislative leaders.
Key Phrases of Laws
The phrases of the invoice embrace:
The fee will grant eight operators licenses
Licensees pays the state 12.5% of income in taxes
License purposes will price $100,000
Profitable candidates will probably be charged $1 million for a license
Candidates have to be lively in at the least 5 different states already
Wagering can be allowed on pro-sports, faculty sports activities, and esports
The push for an enlargement of playing choices in South Carolina has intensified in recent times, significantly following North Carolina’s legalization of sports activities betting in 2024.
Rep. Todd Rutherford mentioned he believes it’s ridiculous that the state has not but authorized on-line sports activities wagering.
Talking final yr, he commented, “The truth that South Carolina has a few of the greatest sports activities groups in all the nation, and we’re unable to position bets on our telephone is completely ridiculous”.
Playing Opponents Block On line casino Plans
The state’s efforts to legalize industrial casinos suffered a setback final week when Home Majority Chief Davey Hiott recommitted a invoice to the Home Methods and Means Committee.
Lawmakers had agreed on how tax income can be shared, however opponents of playing proceed to battle towards casinos and sports activities betting.
Gov. Henry McMaster has publicly voiced his opposition, stating, “Playing is unhealthy for our tradition. It’s not part of our heritage, and there are higher methods to generate profits to provide jobs to generate tax cash”.
State Lacking Out On Income, Say Proponents
On the opposite aspect, advocates for legalization say residents are already crossing the border to North Carolina to position wagers. Consequently, South Carolina is lacking out on tax income.
North Carolina collected $116 million in tax income in FY2025 and is ready to surpass that this yr. The brand new monetary yr began in July, and within the six months as much as December, it collected over $71 million. In November, a document $800 million in deal with was wagered, leading to a document $16 million in taxes.
Elsewhere, Alaska, Nebraska, and Mississippi are amongst a number of states contemplating laws to legalize on-line sports activities betting. In South Dakota, lawmakers have proposed placing it to a vote amongst residents.
If the identical had been carried out in South Carolina, the Sports activities Betting Alliance (SBA) says it will cross with no drawback. The group representing 5 of the nation’s largest sportsbooks says at the least 70% of residents help legalization. The identical stage of help is probably not current within the chambers, nonetheless.
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