The football season is in full swing. And if you’re in South Carolina, you have to at least be intrigued right?
Clemson got rocked by Georgia to start the season, but has rebounded well since then. Then there’s the Gamecocks, who almost upset LSU. They didn’t, but they appear to be better than originally advertised. In the NFL, the neighboring Panthers up north have been the talk of the league for its handling of Bryce Young.
But unless you’re using an offshore sportsbook (more on that later), you’ve been left out of betting this in South Carolina. One lawmaker has already come out and said he’ll try to change this. Let’s dig into those comments and see if this is just political talk or the start of something serious.
Republican Puts His Neck Out For South Carolina Betting
Meet Chris Murphy, a Republican House Representative inside the state. He’s the one leading this new-found charge. Murphy has said he’ll file the new bill after the upcoming 2024 election — he doesn’t want to get lost in the Presidential hoopla right now.
“It’s one of those bills that is a revenue generator for the state, a very significant source of revenue,” says Murphy.
Revenue-generator indeed. States across the country have tied their education funds into sports betting with the majority of proceeds going there. Murphy, though, only said that at least 80 percent of proceeds would be kicked back to the state’s general fund.
Murphy says this time is different because of that money possibility, but also momentum. Sports betting is now legal in some capacity in 38 U.S. states — the latest being North Carolina, which launched in early 2024. No doubt that’s contributed to South Carolina’s appetite for it, as we’ll get into in the next section.
North Carolina’s Success Is The Model
Murphy says his bill be influenced by North Carolina and Tennessee — the two neighboring states in the South, who’ve successfully pulled off legalizing betting. Both states have leaned on mobile betting more than anything so we’d expect Murphy to follow suit.
The pair of states have brought in more than 2.5 billion dollars in tax revenue from an industry that generates $11 billion in revenue. That’s big-time money that you have to be side-eyeing in South Carolina. Bettors sure were earlier this year.
“It’s interesting to note that when North Carolina’s legislation went live, there were over a million bets, attempted to be placed in South Carolina on the North Carolina apps. So it just shows you that there that it is happening,” Murphy said.
During a recent North Carolina Lottery Commission meeting, it was stated that the state has eclipsed $62 million in sports betting revenue. This is far above what the state initially planned for. Originally, North Carolina estimated a total of $36.1 million in tax revenue for 2024. They’ll more than double that (perhaps triple), especially given football season is the most-bet on time of the year. Hitting $100 million this year is very within reason.
“The success in terms of the tax revenue generated already in North Carolina will be enticing,” Stephen Shapiro of the University of South Carolina Department of Sport and Entertainment Management told Statehouse Report earlier this month. “I would imagine that we’re going to see more of those types of [sports betting] bills and that there’s a good chance it would be legalized in the next couple years.”
Third Time Is The Charm?
Two previous attempts to legalize sports betting failed in South Carolina. The most recent one came during the 2024 legislative session, where an old 2023 wagering bill was kicked around before going nowhere. The reason for stalling? Most believe it’s because of Governor Henry McMaster. He’s made his anti-betting stance clear from the get-go.
“The governor has always opposed legalized sports betting and campaigned against it during the 2022 gubernatorial election,” Brandon Charochak, a McMaster spokesperson, told Statehouse Report earlier this month. “His position remains unchanged.”
Here’s the thing too: McMaster will be in office until 2026 barring any scandal or resignment. He’s been the state’s governor since 2017 so he’s a mostly popular candidate. Beating him in the 2026 elections — if he chooses to re-run — won’t be easy. Ultimately, he would have to sign any bill that Murphy writes up and gets passed up in the House and Senate.
Offshore Betting Fills Gap In South Carolina
The offshore marketplace is thriving in the outlawed state. Thriving, we say!
For those not in the know, you can bet inside South Carolina and even do so from your phone and computer. This is done via popular sites like the ones listed below.
Offshore betting sites work because they aren’t housed inside the United States. Therefore, they don’t have to abide by any federal or state regulations. Bettors can use these freely even in states like South Carolina which have it banned. Murphy knows this, plain and well:
“The fact of the matter is, it’s taking place right now illegally,” Murphy says.
We suggest using one of these sites if you’re inside the state of South Carolina. Legalization won’t be easy as long as the governor is around so these sites will be local’s “best bet” at getting action on sports.
