South Carolina Casino Plans Stall as Gambling Bill Loses Momentum
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South Carolina’s plans to build a casino have suffered a serious setback.
A bill supporting the construction of a casino in South Carolina has been sent back to the House Ways and Means Committee by members of the House of Representatives.
The bill never made it to the floor, where members of the House could have voted on it. Instead, the bill lost any momentum it had. Essentially, it’s back to square one for those elected officials who wish to see a casino in the state.
Where does South Carolina stand on gambling?
Gambling in South Carolina is virtually non-existent.
The state has some of the country’s strictest gambling laws. There are no casinos in South Carolina, not even ones on tribal lands.
Sports betting, horse betting, and online casinos are also illegal.
The only forms of legal gambling are the state-sponsored lottery and regulated non-profit bingo.
Because of these severe gambling rules, many believed the bill for a casino never stood a chance in the House. Even if it made it past the House, the Senate’s leadership has little interest in gambling besides the lottery.
Governor Henry McMaster, arguably the most powerful man in the state, holds the same anti-gambling stance as many South Carolina government officials.
Casino revenue could drive other initiatives
One of the positives of building a casino is the revenue generated for the state.
Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister of Greenville proposed an intriguing proposition that ties South Carolina’s casino revenue to land conservation.
Bannister’s proposed amendment to the gambling bill would dedicate 35% of the casino tax revenue to the South Carolina Conservation Bank. The conservation bank is the state’s agency responsible for the preservation of farmland, forests, and other significant land.
Conservation is reportedly popular among the state’s officials. Still, the bill never made it to the House floor.
“One of the things that was anticipated was that the governor may be moderating his resistance to the bill,” Bannister said. “He has come out and said that he would veto it under its current form, even with the amendment that we talked about.”
Casino development plans have been in the works
In 2024, Orangeburg County residents pleaded with legislators to greenlight a casino development project.
The casino, which would also include a resort, would be located off Lake Marion. The expectation would be that the casino and resort would help the area’s struggling economy.
The plans have already been drawn up. If finished, the casino and resort could generate an estimated $100 million in tax revenue for South Carolina.
Other bills considered revolved around the legalization of online sports gambling and the re-categorization of select games of skill as non-gambling activities.
All of these proposals remain in development.
Will South Carolina ever build a casino?
It’s uncertain if a casino will ever be allowed in South Carolina.
Judging by the opposition to gambling, it probably won’t happen anytime soon.
The most important person to sway is the governor, and until a new one comes in, don’t expect major gambling changes.
“I’ve always opposed gambling as a means to raise revenue like this, starting back with Carroll Campbell, when we really got moving on a lot of things, that has been the state’s position all along,” McMaster said. “I think the majority of the people in the state do not want the casino gambling, and I don’t either.”
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