Sports Betting Fight Renews in South Carolina, But Effort Faces Long Odds
The South Carolina General Assembly is debating sports betting for yet another legislative year.
In 2025, Sens. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) and Matt Leber (R-Charleston) presented Senate Bill 444, which would permit online sports betting. To oversee the increased gambling, the South Carolina Sports Wagering Commission would be established.
The Senate Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee discussed the carried-over sports betting measure on Wednesday, but it was not pushed to a vote.
Should SB444 become law, each license for an internet sportsbook would cost $1 million. The annual renewal fee would be $1 million. According to the sports betting bill, the state would receive 12.5% of the money that online sportsbooks make.
Outlier in Sports Betting
39 states and Washington, DC, have enacted legislation permitting sports betting since the US Supreme Court ruled in May 2018 that a federal law cannot permit one state, Nevada, to engage in gambling while prohibiting it everywhere else. One of the eleven states that hasn't is South Carolina.
There is legal sports gambling in neighboring North Carolina, and some Palmetto State lawmakers believe it's time to cut off money to the North Carolina government.
"Last year, North Carolina made $129 million off of these online sports bets. South Carolinians, hundreds of thousands of them, are going across the North Carolina border to place bets,” Sen. Josh Kimbrell (R-Spartanburg) said during the committee hearing, as reported by WYFF News.
The money collected from the sports betting tax in North Carolina is used to draw big events, create jobs, and attract investment.
With around half the population of North Carolina, South Carolina is significantly smaller. However, proponents of sports betting believe that the state might make between $50 and $60 million annually from such gambling.
“That could provide opportunities for additional tax relief and provide a first responder pay increase. There’s a whole range of things,” Kimbrell added.
Opposition from the Governor
In addition to strong opposition from religious leaders, Gov. Henry McMaster (R) may veto South Carolina's sports betting measure.
"I’ve always opposed gambling,” McMaster said recently.
McMaster has openly expressed his opposition to Columbia's attempts to establish a commercial casino. The governor is in his last year of office and has a restricted term.
Kimbrell has announced his intention to run for McMaster's position. However, recent polling indicates that only approximately 4% of voters currently support him.
At this point, US Representative Nancy Mace (R-NC) and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson are reportedly the front-runners for 2026. Mace has not made any public statements about sports betting. Wilson, though, is vehemently against it.
Wilson has referred to internet sports betting as "frictionless gambling," which results in monetary loss and other negative social effects.
