A bipartisan group of seven lawmakers has submitted a bill to the South Carolina House of Representatives that would legalize online sports betting in the state. The bill currently sits with the Committee on Ways and Means and will be considered when the state’s legislative session begins on Jan. 14.
If legalized, the bill, titled the “South Carolina Sports Wagering Act,” would break up the trio of Deep South states that don’t permit sports wagering of any kind: Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Online-only, 12.5% tax included in bill
Like another southern state — Tennessee — South Carolina would allow only online sports betting if the bill becomes law. Thirty of the 39 states where sports betting is legal allow online betting.
The bill’s online-only approach makes sense for the Palmetto State — commercial casinos are not legal, eliminating the usual location for sportsbooks.
The bill also calls for a 12.5% tax on sports betting revenue, which would put South Carolina in the middle of the pack for southern states:
| State | Online? | Land-based? | Online tax rate | Land-based tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed South Carolina bill | Yes | No | 12.5% | N/A |
| Georgia | No | No | N/A | N/A |
| Alabama | No | No | N/A | N/A |
| Florida | Yes | Yes | 10% | 13.75% |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes | 18% | 18% |
| Tennessee | Yes | No | 1.85% of handle | N/A |
Additionally, the bill would set the minimum age for sports wagering at 18 years old.
Bill language would allow for wide variety of sports, bets
The bill would legalize betting on professional, college, Olympic and international sporting events, a list that also includes e-sports and motorsports. It does not include any restrictions on betting on college sports.
Additionally, the bill would allow for a wide variety of types of bets, including the following:
- Single-game bets
- Teasers
- Parlays
- Over/unders
- Moneylines
- Pools
- Exchange wagering
- In-play bets
- Prop bets
- Straight bets
The list of acceptable forms of sports betting does not include fantasy contests, the bill notes.
Bill would legalize exchange betting
One of the interesting parts of the South Carolina sports betting bill is that it would legalize exchange betting. Currently, exchange betting is available in Colorado, Iowa, and New Jersey.
What’s next for the South Carolina sports betting bill?
The 2025 South Carolina legislative session begins on Jan. 14. In the weeks that follow, the bill will likely go through a vote in the Committee on Ways and Means, then would go to the House floor for a vote. If the House passes the bill, it would then go to the Senate for a vote where, if approved, the bill would move to Gov. Henry McMaster’s desk.
While the route to the governor’s desk is relatively simple, process-wise, getting there is the hard part.
Alabama and Georgia lawmakers have introduced multiple sports betting bills but failed. Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida agreed to a gaming agreement that allows the tribe to offer online and land-based sports betting, but non-tribal operators cannot operate in the state on their own.
Another obstacle is McMaster. He has long been opposed to legalizing sports betting. When asked about his view on sports gambling during a televised October 2022 debate, McMaster said he didn’t think it was the right way to generate state revenue.
“No, that’s not the answer to anything,” McMaster said. “Look at the children … what does that tell the children? Isn’t there some other way we can make money, by building businesses and getting people educated and trained, and having them working? That’s how you do it.”
