With each passing month, the continued absence of South Carolina sports betting grows ever more glaring.
Mind you, this isn’t because of anything The Palmetto State has done. Rather, it’s mostly to do with what they have not done: make any serious strides, whatsoever, towards the legalization of sports betting in South Carolina.
This is not to say they haven’t attempted to green light sports gambling. They have. Numerous proposals have made the rounds ever since the United States Supreme Court overturned the Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992. Supporters have even tried cobbling together initiatives that legalize different forms of sports betting only to see them get cast aside without much fanfare.
It is here we reach the heart of South Carolina’s sports betting quandary. The level of support—and the pressure that comes with it—just isn’t where it needs to be. Sports gambling remains a secondary priority for many officials while failing to register as an interest for many more.
And so, we ask the time-old, one-word question of why.
Why isn’t the legalization of sports gambling in South Carolina more of a hot topic? Why is there not a bigger push or a greater sense of urgency on the topic? And why is Governor Henry McMaster still considered one of the state’s staunchest opponents of legal sports betting?
The answer, insofar as there is a singular one, remains complicated. But after digging into the most recent South Carolina sports betting proposal, we are starting to wonder whether the state’s stance on gambling is rooted in the absence of professional franchises inside the market.
South Carolina Sports Betting Attempted to Follow Tennessee’s Lead, But Interest Was Clearly Low
The last time a South Carolina sports gambling initiative was up for serious consideration, it tried to follow the blueprint laid by sports betting in Tennessee. The Volunteer State, which legalized sports gambling in June 2019, only allows online wagering. Officials viewed it as a way of capitalizing on the sports betting market without having to commercialize or expand casino gaming laws.
Select South Carolina officials took a page right out of this book when they proposed House Bill 3749.
Under this initiative, only online sportsbooks in the United States would be allowed to operate within the region. The structure was designed, specifically, to sway sports gambling opponents and those who remained on the fence.
See, South Carolina does not currently house any land-based casinos. Many have stood against sports betting legislation that would necessitate retail locations and invariably lead to the expansion of on-site gambling, which is presently limited to a small subset of bingo- and card-room-type locations.
While this was a sound approach in theory, it wound up flopping in practice. There was not nearly enough support—not just from state officials, but from important outside forces.
“It was a relatively short meeting, despite subcommittee Chair Rep. Bruce Bannister saying he expected hours worth of testimony,” Sam McQuillan of Legal Sports Report wrote. “Representatives from NASCAR and the PGA Tour were the only witnesses to testify.”
Other Sports Leagues Conspiculously Absent from South Carolina Gambling Push
You’ll notice that other pro sports leagues in the United States were not among the organizations to attend the hearing. That’s because South Carolina is not home to any NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL or MLS franchises.
This doesn’t mean there isn’t an interest in sports betting within the market. South Carolina has one powerhouse NCAA football club and hosts major PGA and NASCAR events every year.
Still, there is often a common denominator among states that decide to legalize sports betting after resisting for a while: Pro sports teams in or around the market usually band together to help advance the agenda. It has happened with sports betting in Massachusetts, Ohio, Kansas and others. South Carolina doesn’t have any of those advocates from powerhouse leagues—at least not with boots on the ground. It’s fair to wonder whether that’s hurt their case.
Granted, these pro teams aren’t always successful. Texas sports betting has yet to be legalized despite endorsements from franchises such as the Dallas Cowboys (NFL) and Dallas Mavericks (NBA). But the advocates from pro organizations aren’t everything. Other factors always come into play. However, generally speaking, they can play an important role in shaping public perception and, most importantly, action.
Is This the Biggest Roadblock Facing the Pursuit of South Carolina Sports Betting?
Despite the obvious failings associated with the absence of pro sports teams, it ultimately isn’t the biggest barrier standing between South Carolina and sports betting. That was, remains and probably will until further notice always be Governor McMaster and the state’s overarching political leanings.
South Carolina has typically skewed ultra-conservative. Those views are not synonymous with legal sports betting. Especially when the states in question don’t already have robust casino operations in place. Tribal casinos, after all, play a large role in shaping sports betting policy and approval rating. Their exclusive gaming rights necessitate their involvement, and they usually have meaningful sway over elected officials and their policy endorsements.
Essentially, then, South Carolina is at a disadvantage twice over. Neither casino operators nor pro sports teams are clamoring for the state to change their gambling laws—or for the officials to make discussing potential changes a priority.
Perhaps this can shift in time. North Carolina sports betting recently expanded to include online services. Given how many South Carolinans root for teams in the neighboring state, we could see franchises like the Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) and Carolina Panthers (NFL) appealing to the state legislature.
For now, though, everything rests with the whims of the House of Representatives and Senate. Until a majority or a powerful minority aggressively pushes the state to join most of the country in legalizing some form of sports betting, South Carolina is likely to lag behind the times.
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