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Casino bill seems fated for failure in South Carolina following governor's comments
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster reaffirmed his anti-gaming expansion position as a bill to legalize land-based casino gaming is under consideration.
The status quo of gaming in South Carolina seems likely to continue for the foreseeable future under the state's current governor, Henry McMaster, after he confirmed that does not want to see casinos pop up in South Carolina. There is a bill to establish a framework for physical casinos in the South Carolina legislature, but it seems unlikely to progress given the governor's position on the matter.
McMaster comments quell momentum for casino bill
According to Joseph Bustos of The State, McMaster addressed the possibility of casino gaming becoming legal in South Carolina with members of the media last week.
"I've always opposed gambling as a means to raise revenue like this, starting back with Carroll Campbell, when we really got moving on a lot of things, that has been the state's position all along," McMaster said. "I think the majority of the people in the state do not want the casino gambling, and I don't either."
Currently, legal gaming in South Carolina is very limited, with the most robust opportunity that most people can access being the state lottery. No recent proposals have covered a framework for any of the top online casino apps.
Without McMaster's support, South Carolina residents who want to gamble in other ways will probably have to continue to leave the state. A bill to expand those options is likely doomed at this point.
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H 4176 unlikely to progress in Columbia
The bill that could expand gaming in South Carolina, H 4176, is currently with the South Carolina House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee. There, it has received an amendment allocating 35% of tax revenue from expanded gaming to fund conservation efforts in the state.
However, with a likely veto from McMaster, H 4176 could not even come up for a vote on the South Carolina House floor. Bustos reports that South Carolina Senate leadership is also opposed to expanded gaming.
Those stances make it even more unlikely that South Carolinians will be able to utilize offers like the DraftKings Casino bonus in the near future. Being able to access fast payout online casinos could also be in doubt, at least for the near future. Previous measures limited to online sports wagering have met similar resistance in the state capitol.
At least in terms of the 2026 session, gaming expansion and online high RTP slots are non-issues in South Carolina beyond the hearing that H 4176 has received. Concessions aimed at changing McMaster's stance continue to come up short.
Written by Derek Helling
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