Regulated Mobile Sports Betting Coming to South Carolina? Keep Dreaming
Could it be possible that South Carolina will join the party and regulate mobile sports betting in 2025?
Stranger things have happened, we suppose.
After Utah, Gambling911.com ranks Hawaii as the second least likely state to regulate sports betting. Yet, the Aloha State is on the verge of doing just that.
South Carolina lawmakers argue that residents are driving to the North Carolina border to place sports bets.
“[Approximately] 70% of South Carolinians support legalized sports wagering, believing that adults in this age should be allowed to bet on sports as a form of entertainment,” said Michelle McGregor with the Sports Betting Alliance.
It's not clear where that 70% number comes from. Previous voter referendums in states such as Missouri and Colorado have passed by the narrowest of margins, 51.4% in Colorado, 50.5% in Missouri.
The bipartisan Sports Wagering Act would allow anyone 18 or older to place sports bets online in South Carolina, which is a lower number than in most states (21).
The bill limits market size and giving betting operators a maximum of eight licenses.
According to McGregor, South Carolina residents illegally bet all the time and the state is missing out on tax revenue.
But even if the bill moves forward, it will need to be signed by Governor Henry McMaster, and he's not on board.
“Gambling is bad for our culture,” he said. “It’s not a part of our heritage and there is a better way to make money to give [people] jobs.”
If McMaster vetoes the bill, lawmakers could still pass it by vetoing his decision. McMaster will remain in office through the end of 2026.
As for Hawaii, House Bill 1308 proposes to make online sports betting legal in Hawaii and is heading to the Senate.
Though this may seem like a positive development, obstacles still stand in the way.
From DeadSpin:
HB 1308 may stall at the Senate because another bill, SB 1569, was deferred in the Senate. SB 1569 also proposed the legalization of sports betting in Hawaii, albeit under different regulations compared to HB 1308. Still, some are worried that the fate of the failed Senate Bill is an indication of how the Hawaii State Senate will approach HB 1308.
Also, various state departments have provided testimonies opposing the legalization of sports betting in Hawaii
The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, and the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism all wrote testimonies not supporting the move to make sports betting legal in Hawaii.
Attorney General Oihana I Ka Loio Kuhina’s testimony reads: “There is no citizens grassroots movement for online gambling in Hawaii or in any other state. The lobbying effort in Hawaii is being driven by the greed of powerful, out-of-state financial interests who stand to reap hundreds of millions of dollars in profits at the expense of your constituents.”
The biggest obstacle standing in the way is time, with the state legislative period set to adjourn on May 1.
Outside of Utah, which forbids all forms of gambling, Hawaii does not even have a state lottery. The only gambling permitted under law here is social gambling. No one involved can profit from the game; the "house" cannot take a cut.
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