These gambling games were forbidden in 2000, and the state lottery was launched a year later. The only other types of legal gaming are charity bingo and a casino cruise that docks near Myrtle Beach.
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Gambling in South Carolina
- Year Regulated Gambling:2001
- Estimated Tax Revenue from Gambling: $400 million per year
- Estimated Gambling Revenue: $1.4 billion per year
- Gambling Age:18
Types of Online Gambling
There are no types of legalized web gambling in South Carolina. Daily fantasy sports websites accept gamblers from South Carolina. These firms claim exclusion under South Carolina’s skill gaming laws. Online gambling rules vary widely, so our state-by-state guide shows how each state compares.
Popular Casino Games
- Lottery
- Bingo
Live Gambling in South Carolina
Only two kinds of live gaming are permitted in South Carolina. The state lottery sells tickets to lotto drawings and sells scratch-off promotional game tickets. One South Carolina casino operates within the state: the Big M Casino.
This casino can run because it acts as a cruise casino. People can book a short trip on the cruise while gambling at the casino game tables.
Bingo is allowed and offered by charitable organizations. Entries should be $3, $5, or $18. The prize pool should be publicized before the night of the gambling games and can’t be based on the amount of the prize pool.
Gambling Laws
South Carolina prohibits most types of gambling. Video poker machines, Slot machines, table games, and racing are illegal. Gaming devices are only allowed on cruise ships docked in water. “South Carolina’s rules also sit within wider US gambling laws that affect every state.
The only types of legalized betting in South Carolina are bingo and a state lottery. State law allows the state to operate a lottery, and the profits go towards education. Only traditional tickets to prompt games and the lotto can be sold.
South Carolina’s lottery can enter multi-state drawings, including Powerball and Mega Millions. However, the lottery is not allowed to operate keno games or expand into video lottery.
Gambling rules change at the state line. Players can compare the rules for gambling in Georgia, which borders South Carolina to the southwest. North Carolina, to the north, also has its own rules, and online gambling in North Carolina is covered in a separate guide.
South Carolina Gambling History
Racing was the first type of South Carolina gambling. Greyhounds and Horses raced in the early century. The traditional movement after World War II ended this kind of gambling.
The first type of legalized gaming in modern times was bingo. Only charities can offer bingo, even though the Catawba Tribe operates casino games through its exception under the Indian Gambling Regulatory Act. Voters approved a state lottery over the constitutional referendum in 2001.
