When will Sports Betting come to South Carolina?

In the coming months, Maryland, Ohio, and Massachusetts will all launch online sports betting in their respective states. There will then be over 20 states in the country that have legal online sports betting.

This has left many South Carolinians asking when they’ll be able to legally wager on betting apps.

Where do we stand now?

Unfortunately, it’s a question that doesn’t have a clear answer at the moment. Back in April, a bill that would have legalized online sports betting was introduced in the state legislature. The bill would have paved the way for brands like DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, and MGM to offer their betting apps to South Carolina residents.

Unfortunately for supporters, the bill died after receiving no action in June.

In this area of the country, it’s been tough for states to legalize sports betting. North Carolina had its own bill fail over the summer, while Georgia has also attempted to pass laws opening the door for sports betting to enter their states around the same time.

As it stands, Tennessee is the closest state that has legal online sports betting.

The Pros & Cons of Online Sports Betting

There are financial consequences for the state when it comes to not legalizing betting as well. In Colorado, the state was able to raise an additional $6.6 million in tax revenue in the first year it had legal sports betting alone. This would be a nice addition to any state’s budget and could be used to create more affordable housing options, better fund the public school system, or any number of public services.

Protestors would say that legalizing online sports betting could lead to a rise in gambling addiction. This is a fair point that’s probably true, as it makes it much easier for those who have an addictive personality to access betting.

However, there are still legally gray websites where users can place bets available to South Carolina residents. If someone really felt the need to bet on sports, then it is not too difficult to figure out how to use them.

These offshore betting apps also tend to be very insecure and don’t have to work within a regulated system that legal sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel do. So, while fewer people may be using them, there is a greater risk to those who are.

Just like with alcohol and cigarettes, having a system with more regulations in place provides more support for people who may need help.

Conclusion

As it stands right now, there’s no clear path for online sports betting to come to South Carolina. With it being an election year, passing the sports betting bill from earlier this year was always a hard sell.

There is hope that in 2023 the state legislature will re-evaluate its options when it comes to sports betting. Especially as more states legalize it, South Carolina could stand to lose out on tax revenue to its neighbors.

If a bill were to pass in 2023, then sports betting would likely not be available to South Carolinians until 2024, based on other states’ timelines.

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