A casino bill in South Carolina unlikely to pass after members of the house sent it back to the House Ways and Means Committee, an action that means it’s being pulled back into the budget-and-money gatekeeper’s lane for further examination.
There is hope in the industry that sports betting legislation isn’t far away, however, with a sports betting focused bill now with the sub-committee.
Mixed news for gambling industry in South Carolina
House Bill 4176, a bipartisan measure pushed by Rep. Bruce Bannister (R-Greenville), had sought the creation of a Las Vegas-style casino along the I-95 corridor. However, strong pushback from Governor Harry McMaster, a stalwart in opposing gambling in the state, doomed the bill. It is unlikely to hit the legislature until next year, now.
McMaster said: “I’ve always opposed gambling as a means to raise revenue like this, starting back with (former governor) Carroll Campbell, when we really got moving on a lot of things, that has been the state’s position all along. I think the majority of the people in the state do not want casino gambling, and I don’t either.”
Religious groups in the state are taking credit for the bill’s failure to advance. Steve Pettit, president of the evangelical conservative Palmetto Family Alliance, said in a statement: “Saying ‘no’ to casinos in South Carolina was one of our major legislative initiatives this year. I’m thankful to the thousands of South Carolinians who contacted their representatives to urge a ‘no’ vote on casinos”
Bannister wasn’t surprised at the fate of the bill. He told a local news outlet: “One of the things that was anticipated was that the governor may be moderating his resistance to the bill. He has come out and said that he would veto it under its current form, even with the amendment that we talked about.”
However, attention now turns to legal sports betting in the state, as lawmakers pivot to a fresh new potential tax revenue.
Sports bill up for debate
Bill 3625, referred to as the South Carolina Sports Wagering Act, is being pushed by Rep. Chris Murphy (R) alongside Reps. Heath Sessions (R) and J. Todd Rutherford (D) and aims to create a comprehensive regulatory framework aimed at preserving industry integrity while promoting public welfare initiatives.
The proposal will lobby for the creation of a nine-member South Carolina Sports Wagering Commission to regulate the market, enforce compliance, and oversee responsible gambling efforts.
Sports betting would be limited to licensed platforms and mobile apps, with a maximum of eight operators. Applicants would face a $100,000 application fee and a $1 million license fee valid for five years. Operators would also pay a 12.5% tax on adjusted gross receipts, with proceeds directed toward gambling addiction services, infrastructure, and public programs.
Observers believe, due to the narrower legal definition of sports betting, the bill has a better chance of advancing through the house.
Legalizing sports betting in South Carolina could bring in $32 million
Recent research conducted by the Tax Foundation, published on 22 January, 2026, suggests a legalized sports betting framework could significantly bolster state coffers, despite the demographic challenges it faces.
They write: “South Carolina has a slightly above average population of adults and a significant proportion of rural population. With a below average median income, South Carolina is not particularly well-suited for a large sports betting market,
“Once built out, a well-structured sports betting market in South Carolina could be expected to generate approximately $32 million in tax revenue from a 10 percent tax on gross gaming revenue.”
Under state statute Section 16-19-40, it is illegal to play games for money or operate gambling devices in South Carolina, with penalties that can include fines and jail time for players and operators alike
The broad ban on the practice dates back to its 1868 state constitution, which outlawed lotteries and empowered the legislature to punish them, a prohibition that has been largely upheld and expanded through state law ever since.
Religious opposition to legalized gambling will continue
While efforts will continue to drive through a sports betting bill over the coming months, South Carolina’s religious groups retain a fierce ethical drive to uphold the prohibition.
RaShan Frost, director of research for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and a South Carolina pastor, co-authored an article in The Baptist Courier with Tony Beam, a policy consultant for the South Carolina Baptist Convention, outlining the position of religious leaders in the state.
They wrote: “Gambling is not good for South Carolina, and legalizing it takes the independence and strength of South Carolinians and places it into the hands of a predatory industry that only cares about making a profit off the addictions and subsequent problems that will negatively affect our state and our people.”
Lawmakers will need to find an acceptable middle ground with religious figures in the state if they are to advance any betting bill. It remains to be seen how they will find a compromise.
