The South Carolina House moved an online sports betting bill last week out of committee and it will now go to the full Ways and Means Committee.
It is the first time in the history of the legislature that any positive action was taken on a bill that dealt with gambling. There has been enough of a majority in both the House and Senate that have opposed previous sports betting measures on moral grounds.
“South Carolina’s historically very socially conservative, and gambling is considered something that’s not in line with those views,” Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister told The State website. “I think it’s a harder issue to talk about.”
That viewpoint is starting to wane, however. Several lawmakers are starting to see the economic reality of sports wagering. An estimated $2.3 billion in illegal bets are placed in the state, lawmakers say.
“I recognize how much of this is going on illegally and unsanctioned, and without any sort of oversight,” said Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville. “It doesn’t make sense for us to put our head in the sand and pretend like it’s not going on and that the government shouldn’t have some role in making sure the folks who are taking those bets are legitimate operators.”
The current legislation is sponsored by Rep. Christopher Murphy. As written, the bill provides for up to eight licenses in South Carolina and includes wagering on college and professional sports. The legal age to place a bet would be 18, just as it is to buy a lottery ticket in the Palmetto State.
Some of the licenses would go to PGA Tour stops as well as NASCAR’s Darlington Raceway. They would pay 10 percent taxes on adjusted gross revenue.
Anyone granted a license has to be operating in at least five states.
“You can’t be some fly-by-night operation,” Murphy said. “These will be established entities that come to South Carolina.”
It appears unlikely sports betting would be legalized this year. The House is on a tight deadline, however. They have until April 10 to get it to the Senate. The legislative session ends May 11.
