South Carolina

Consistent efforts have been made to legalize sports betting in South Carolina, but those efforts have yet to produce any results. On the bright side, attempts to pass a sports betting bill in the Palmetto State don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

If South Carolina residents or tourists want to do something remotely similar to sports betting, they have only one option: daily fantasy sports apps. DFS products are neither legal nor illegal in the state, so they operate in a gray area that allows them to be unregulated and provide customers in SC with contests.

Two of the biggest DFS apps on the market, PrizePicks and Underdog, are available for download on iOS and Android devices in the Palmetto State. However, the buck ends at DFS products regarding gambling-related products. Betting on horse racing is also illegal in the state, so online racebooks like TVG aren’t available.

Online sports betting in The Palmetto State

Motivation is a critical factor in getting a sports betting bill passed, and lawmakers in South Carolina certainly seem motivated. While sports betting remains illegal in the Palmetto State along with all other forms of gambling, SC has seen a sports betting bill be introduced every year since PASPA was overturned in 2018.

At times, other states that have attempted to legalize sports betting have run into the issue of the House disagreeing with the Senate on the matter or vice versa. Still, there are members of both parties who have supported the legalization.

In 2022, HB 5277 had bipartisan support, yet it became another bill or resolution that has died in committee since 2019. The following year, Rep. Chris Murphy introduced and sponsored HB 3749. This bill would allow eight operators to enter the market and set the minimum gambling age in the state at 18.

This committee has a laundry list of bills pending review, so the timeline for discussing HB 3749 remains uncertain.

Of course, it does not help that the man at the top of the state’s government, Gov. Henry McCaster, is against the idea of legalized gambling in the state. He claims it is against the state’s values. Even with this opposition, lawmakers in the state, like Rep. Chris Murphy, seem to remain optimistic.

Sports betting & gambling legislation in SC

One of the most challenging hurdles for lawmakers who support legalized gambling is the fact that South Carolina does not already have an expansive gambling landscape. With no retail casinos or even a state lottery, lawmakers must create a governing body to issue the eight licenses they discussed in HB 3749.

Aside from the fact that having no retail betting locations limits sports betting to just mobile betting apps, it also means that iGaming is unlikely to join the legal gambling landscape in SC. If iGaming is not something that could be added to the current sports betting bill being discussed, it could be quite a while before residents can access online casinos and poker.

Sweet tea and wagers: The unlikely betting duo brewing in South Carolina

South Carolina and sweet tea are synonymous with each other, so why not turn the state’s favorite beverage into a betting opportunity? At local fairs, BBQ cook-offs, and summer festivals, sweet tea chugging contests are already a fan favorite. With clear rules, visible outcomes, and enthusiastic chuggers, these events offer a perfect format for novelty betting markets. Prop wagers like “fastest chug” or “who wins a head-to-head battle” could be placed through mobile apps or on-site kiosks upon sports betting legalization. 

If South Carolina ever expands its gambling laws to include sports betting, these cultural or food-based prop betting could be a splash hit. It’s quirky, it’s on-brand, and it’s hyper-local, which is everything you want in a prop bet market brewed right in the Palmetto State.

Most recent updates from the SC sports betting & gambling scene

• April 7, 2025: Due to their loss to UConn in the National Championship, the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team was unable to be repeat champions.

• March 20, 2025: A new bipartisan bill in South Carolina, HB 4176, aims to boost struggling counties by allowing casinos in Orangeburg, Marlboro, and Dillon. If approved, it could spark a $1 billion resort in Orangeburg and generate major job growth, tourism, and tax revenue for the state.

• March 5, 2025: With postseason basketball underway, the South Carolina women's basketball team is (+300) to win the National Championship.

• February 10, 2025: After handing Duke their first conference loss, the Clemson Tigers are (+3000) to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

• February 4, 2025: With a 21-1 record, the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team remains the favorites to win the National Championship at (+175).

• January 23, 2025: College baseball season is a few weeks away, and the Clemson Tigers will enter the season at (+3100) to win the College World Series.

• January 9, 2025: South Carolina women's basketball star Ashlyn Watkins will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. The Gamecocks are still (+280) to win the National Championship.

• January 2, 2025: The South Carolina Gamecocks' season ended with a bowl game loss. They are expected to be one of the favorites to win the SEC next season.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Even if sports betting were legalized tomorrow in South Carolina, there would be no places for customers to place retail wagers. The Palmetto State does not house any commercial or tribal casinos, which means the closest retail betting facility for SC residents is actually in North Carolina.

Based on a few proposed sports betting bills, lawmakers seem to focus more on legalizing mobile betting. This could mean that even if a bill does get passed, the state may decide to keep it strictly mobile and ignore the idea of building commercial casinos to house sportsbooks.

Charleston and Myrtle Beach's potential of becoming gambling hubs

As two of South Carolina’s most visited cities, Charleston and Myrtle Beach stand out as prime locations if the state ever legalizes sports betting. Both cities thrive on tourism, entertainment, and hospitality, making them ideal candidates for a regional betting zone concept, similar to how other states have introduced sports wagering in key tourism markets. For example, South Dakota only allows sports betting in a specified area. 

Myrtle Beach, known for its beachfront resorts and golf courses, could see favorable economic benefits if legalized sports betting were integrated into high foot traffic businesses such as hotels, sports bars, and entertainment complexes. Tourists who already visit the area for golf tournaments and major sporting events might be drawn to a regulated betting experience, as many other states with these types of events allow local sports teams or organizations to partner with a licensed mobile sportsbook operator.

Charleston, with its historical charm and thriving tourism industry, could take a different approach, potentially opening retail sportsbooks in high-end hotels and in surrounding areas. Lawmakers hesitant about full-scale gambling might be more open to a limited rollout in select locations, allowing them to test the market before opening the market further. 

While South Carolina remains one of the most gambling-restrictive states in the U.S., rising pressure from neighboring states and the idea of losing tax revenue may eventually push lawmakers to consider sports betting in key locations like Charleston and Myrtle Beach, which in turn could create their version of Atlantic City.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Like South Carolina, sports betting remains illegal in Georgia despite countless bills being introduced during legislative sessions. Thus, North Carolina is the only surrounding state to which South Carolina residents can travel to find legal sports betting.

To find out more about why Georgia still doesn't have a sports betting bill or what betting options are available in North Carolina, you can click on the state name in the box underneath this section.

Micro-Wagers and Moonshine: A Flavorful Future for South Carolina's Gambling Landscape

At South Carolina’s numerous heritage festivals and distillery tours, moonshine reigns supreme but will also cause customers a supreme amount of burning when drunk. But what if those sips of backwoods burn became the centerpiece of a legal novelty betting scene?

Essentially, Moonshine taste test wagers could be the perfect marriage between legal tastings and micro-wagering experiences. Attendees might wager on which batch has the highest proof or which among a batch wins a taste test. With crowd voting and flavor reveals linked to a scoring system, this type of betting is not only feasible but also potentially profitable.

South Carolina would first need to legalize gambling, and from there, they would need to allow novelty bets such as this concept. Revenue-wise, the tax revenue that could be gained from these markets should be enticing to the state. Even better, though, it supports local distilleries and boosts foot traffic to the state.

What’s next for SC betting apps?

Every year since 2019, South Carolina has introduced at least one sports betting bill, and that trend is likely to continue in 2024. Support for each bill seems to be growing, but getting it passed by the committee has remained the biggest obstacle.

Each of these bills seems to include the legalization of mobile sports betting. If one can pass the committee and be signed into law, then brand-name operators like DraftKings and FanDuel should be able to apply for a license shortly afterward.

Potential sports betting revenue impact on South Carolina's economy

Until South Carolina passes a sports betting bill, we will have no information regarding the state's handle, revenue, and tax income. Most states without legal sports betting have, at the very least, created a gambling research committee that studies how profitable the state could be with sports betting. South Carolina did attempt to form one of these groups in 2019 through SJR 71, but this resolution died after it was read for the first time in committee.

With no government-backed group to delve into the research and create studies, it is hard to assume how the state would do in terms of sports betting revenue on a consistent basis. One could compare how other surrounding states with legal sports betting have done. Still, the accuracy of those comparisons is not very high since South Carolina's betting market could be drastically different.

However, for the sake of this article, we will compare South Carolina to the closest state in terms of the estimated population that offers legal sports betting, Colorado. It did not take long for CO to pass a gambling bill. They have since welcomed a wide range of operators, leading to them making over $21 billion in handle (total placed bets), more than $1.5 billion in sportsbooks' revenue, and north of $93 million in tax income since legalizing the market.

During 2024 alone, Colorado averaged around $39 million in revenue and $2.7 million in taxes from a total of $490 million worth of placed bets each month.

How marching band wagers could help fund education & state programs

South Carolina’s marching band culture, particularly at HBCUs, presents an untapped betting opportunity that could significantly boost the state’s gambling market when legalized. With sports betting projected to generate over $500 million annually when a bill is passed, incorporating competitive marching band wagers could expand revenue streams while appealing to a different audience.

By opening betting markets for Battle of the Bands-style competitions, South Carolina could potentially see millions in additional wagers. If just 2% of the projected sports betting handle ($500M) came from band competitions, that could lead to $10 million in wagers and $1 million+ in tax revenue for education and state programs. 

To maximize future profits, South Carolina should explore expanding into non-traditional betting markets once sports betting is legal in an effort to leverage cultural and entertainment-driven wagering. A diverse betting portfolio would not only increase tax income but also help South Carolina stand out in the evolving U.S. betting landscape.