In South Carolina, some members of the Equine Industry Support Measures Study Committee suggested the group also should consider legalizing horserace wagering. The committee, made up of two House members, two Senators, two individuals from the horse industry and a representative from the state Agriculture Department, recently held its first meeting and will spending the next eight months studying the impact of the horse industry on the state’s economy.
The state law establishing the committee requires it to study how the state can grow the horse industry or reduce the barriers to its growth. It also will compare the incentives offered by South Carolina to other states and will study whether South Carolina should cooperate with horse facilities in other states.
At the recent meeting, the committee also brought up allowing betting on horseraces, noting the law also allows the group to take up “any other issues that the committee determines are of interest and benefit.” State Senator Dick Harpootlian said, “I’m interested in bringing horses here, tourists here, people here to participate and be entertained by the horse industry. And if having tracks where people can bet, I want the money to be here.”
However, bills allowing betting on horses require a constitutional amendment, which takes a two-thirds vote by the House and Senate and statewide approval by a majority of voters.
