Is South Carolina Sports Betting Legal?
No. Sports betting in South Carolina is not legal.
Of the 11 U.S states that do not offer legal sports betting as 2026 begins, South Carolina would not be anyone’s betting favorite to be the next to take that next step. However, North Carolina just launched wide-scale sports betting in 2024, so that might sway the conservative state legislature to some extent.
Past Attempts to Legalize Sports Betting in South Carolina
Even though sports betting is still yet to become legalized, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been past legislative attempts.
- Jan. 15, 2019 – Bills were introduced in the state legislature seeking to legalize more gambling, including sports betting as well as casinos and horse racing. But neither bill gained any traction.
- Jan. 12, 2021 – A sports betting-specific bill was introduced in the state House of Representatives, but it soon died in committee.
- April 21, 2022 – The hopefully-named “Bipartisan Sports Betting Act” was put before the House, but it never even went up for discussion or vote.
- Jan. 19, 2023 – The “Sports and Equine Wagering Act” – adding horse racing to the sports betting effort – but it, too, made little progress before the legislative session ended.
- Dec. 12, 2024 – The “South Carolina Sports Wagering Act” was pre-filed for the next legislative session. But the bill stalled as the legislative session ended for the rest of the calendar year in May 2025.
Should South Carolina Legalize Sports Betting?
There are arguments on both sides as to whether sports betting should be legalized in South Carolina one day.
Top Reasons to Legalize It
- The Clemson football team earned national NCAA football titles in 2016 and 2018 and would be the apple of the state’s sports fans/gamblers eyes if betting was legal. That’s even though the 2025 season has not gone nearly as well as Clemson fans have come to expect.
- If sports betting was legal in the state, the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team also would be a primary focus, thanks to having reached the Final Four for each of the last five years and winning the national title in 2022 and 2024. The 2025-26 squad was ranked No. 2 in The Associated Press preseason poll.
Reasons It Wouldn’t Matter
- The NFL’s Carolina Panthers have only reached the postseason eight times in their first 29 seasons, and 2024 marked a seventh consecutive losing season. That history does include two Super Bowl appearances – but they lost both of those games.
- The NBA’s Hornets – a 2014 expansion team that initially was known as the Bobcats – have only three postseason appearances, and the franchise lost in the first round each of those seasons.
Official Sports Teams to Bet On, If It Were Legal
South Carolina actually has no teams in the four major traditional sports, but Charlotte in southern North Carolina is home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. Many South Carolinian sports fans have adopted those two teams.
At the in-state college level, the University of South Carolina, Clemson, and Coastal Carolina are the state’s Division I football programs. They are joined in D-1 in basketball by the College of Charleston, Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Furman, Presbyterian, South Carolina State, South Carolina-Upstate, Winthrop, and Wofford.
Other gaming options within the state
Is There Legal Sports Betting In Other States Bordering South Carolina?
South Carolina is surrounded by states that both do and don’t allow legal sports betting. Georgia also has no sports betting, but North Carolina has taken in $9.7 billion in wagers entering fall 2025 – almost all of it since mobile sports betting launched in spring 2024.
These regional successes might gradually influence lawmakers to reconsider their stance. Still, as of now, the outlook for fully regulated South Carolina betting sites by 2026 appears unlikely, though legislative discussions are expected to continue.
Would South Carolina’s Economy Benefit from Legal Sports Revenue?
South Carolina is yet to reap any benefits from legal sports betting. However, the Palmetto State is ranked 23rd in U.S. state population with 5.5 million residents, and is the fifth-largest state with no sports betting. Thus, if it ever were to legalize it, there would be substantial reason to suspect it could indeed benefit.
Official Sportsbooks and Partnerships
Although there is no legal sports betting nor sportsbooks in South Carolina, there are a couple partnerships between in-state teams and prominent sportsbooks operating in other states. This includes the partnership between Carolina Panthers and FanDuel.
Licensing & Oversight in the Palmetto State
The South Carolina Education Lottery is the only regulatory body for gambling in the state.
Responsible Gaming Falls Upon the National Council on Problem Gambling
The National Council on Problem Gambling is cited as the source for South Carolinians who are concerned about their gambling habits. There are the following options available for South Carolinians.
- Call: 1-800-522-4700
- Text: 800GAM
- Chat: www.ncpgambling.org/chat
Final Thoughts on Sports Betting in South Carolina – Not Entirely Scratched Off
There is a modest uptick in legislative sentiment for legalizing sports betting, but Gov. Henry McMaster’s ardent opposition to the gambling has been a powerful influence.
McMaster cannot run for re-election in 2026 due to term limits, but South Carolina’s anti-gambling culture is more relevant – it is one of only four states that do not have casinos. That means that South Carolinians in the northern part of the state who have made short trips across the border to Charlotte may be continuing that behavior for many years to come.
A wild card for backers of South Carolina sports betting could be Georgia, which if it ever legalizes sports betting would leave South Carolina surrounded by two legalized gambling states.
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