As the NFL season kicks off, the debate over legalizing sports betting has increased in South Carolina. North Carolina legalized sports betting, which includes football and esports, last year.
Stephen Shapiro, a Sport and Entertainment Management Professor at USC, believes that South Carolina will follow, but there may be a wait.
Lawmakers are weighing up the possibility of legalized sports and esports wagering in South Carolina. Image Credit: Tingey Injury Law Firm/Unsplash
Speaking to local news network Count On 2, Shapiro stated: “My guess is going to be that most states, including South Carolina, will eventually legalize the activity.”
He went on to add that there may be more restrictions placed by states. He said, “The difference might be that the restrictions that are set could be different, some of the early states had less restrictions on gambling.”
“Now newer states that are more recently legalizing it, are probably going to set up guardrails to maybe protect the consumer a little bit more”.
A bill proposed in the state would legalize sports betting for anyone over 18 years old. In North Carolina, the legal betting age is 21.
Bill Proposing Legalization On Hold, For Now
Bill H3353 remains active after being introduced in January this year, but it has been left untreated since May.
The bill’s co-sponsor, Representative Todd Rutherford, believes it is ridiculous that the state has not officially legalized sports betting. He said, “We have talked about this bill ad nauseam, and this bill is about freedom”.
He added, “The fact that South Carolina has some of the best sports teams in the entire country, and we’re unable to place bets on our phone is absolutely ridiculous”.
Governor Henry McMaster, however, has resisted legalizing sports betting. He stated, “Gambling is bad for our culture. It’s not a part of our heritage, and there are better ways to make money to give jobs to generate tax money”.
McMaster’s term runs until the end of 2026, so the state may have to wait until then before legalization. The governor has the power to veto any bill that lawmakers pass. However, if both chambers were to vote in favor by a two-thirds majority, then they could override the governor’s veto.
South Carolinians Can Already Wager On Sports
Bettors in the state can already effectively wager on football and esports through prediction market platforms. Underdog and Crypto.com entered into a partnership last week and are offering sports betting in South Carolina through a combination of DFS and prediction markets.
Rutherford also said that residents often bet with each other. He said his bill is aimed at “giving people access to be able to do what they’re already doing,”
“Everybody knows that people bet friendly wages, $1, $2, $50. I’m sure even the governor has seen it. The fact is that it’s simply illegal in South Carolina. We need to fix that.”