South Carolina First State to Set Sports Betting Hearing in 2026
Lawmakers in South Carolina are making history by being the first in the country to schedule a discussion about making sports betting legal. This important talk is set to happen in 2026.
A specific meeting has been arranged for February 18th. It will take place in the Senate Labor & Commerce Subcommittee. The main topic will be looking over a bill known as S444.
This bill was first brought up last year, but it didn’t get much attention until now. The plan is to allow people to bet on sports using their phones and computers. It also calls for creating a new group called the South Carolina Sports Wagering Commission to oversee this activity.
This new commission would be a government body made up of nine people. These members would be chosen by the governor and leaders in the state’s legislature.
Key Parts of the Proposed Law
Here are some of the main points in the bill:
- The commission would give out licenses to eight different companies to run sports betting.
- These licensed companies would have to pay the state 12.5% of the money they make from bets.
- Applying for a license would cost $100,000.
- Companies that get approved would then pay $1 million for the actual license.
- Businesses wanting a license must already be operating in at least five other states.
- People would be allowed to bet on professional sports, college sports, and even esports.
There’s been a growing interest in allowing more gambling in South Carolina lately. This is especially true after North Carolina made sports betting legal in 2024.
Representative Todd Rutherford has said he thinks it’s wrong that the state hasn’t allowed online sports betting yet. He mentioned last year that it’s unbelievable that South Carolina, with its great sports teams, doesn’t let people bet on their phones.
Opponents of Gambling Have Blocked Casino Plans
The state’s attempts to allow commercial casinos faced a problem recently. A bill about casinos was sent back to a committee by House Majority Leader Davey Hiott. Lawmakers had agreed on how to share the money from taxes, but people who are against gambling are still fighting against both casinos and sports betting.
Governor Henry McMaster has also spoken out against it. He believes that gambling is harmful to the state’s culture and isn’t part of its history. He feels there are better ways to create jobs and bring in tax money.
Supporters Say State is Losing Money
On the other hand, those who want to legalize sports betting argue that people from South Carolina are already going to North Carolina to place their bets. This means South Carolina is missing out on potential tax money.
North Carolina made $116 million in taxes from sports betting in the last fiscal year and is expected to earn even more this year. Since the new financial year began in July, they’ve already collected over $71 million by December. In November, a record $800 million was bet, leading to a record $16 million in taxes.
Other states, like Alaska, Nebraska, and Mississippi, are also looking into laws to allow online sports betting. In South Dakota, lawmakers have suggested letting the voters decide if they want legal online sports betting.
If South Carolina were to do the same, the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents major sports betting companies, believes it would pass easily. They claim that at least 70% of people in the state support legalization. However, it’s not clear if there’s the same level of support among the lawmakers in the state’s legislative chambers.