South Carolina Sets Hearing Date for Sports Betting Bill

South Carolina has scheduled a public hearing on Senate Bill 444 for Feb. 18, making it the first state in 2026 to officially to set a date to discuss legalization of sports betting.

The Palmetto State is one of 11 states that doesn’t allow any form of sports betting, nor does it allow casino gambling. And SB 444 could face a tough uphill fight, given that Gov. Henry McMaster remains an opponent of all forms of gambling, including sports betting.

That was why South Carolina legislators elected to punt on a bill related to casinos. The South Carolina House had debated a proposal that would have legalized the creation of a casino alongside Interstate 95 in the state. But McMaster indicated he would veto the legislation, and South Carolina House Ways and Means Committee Chair Bruce Bannister (R-Greenville) chose to table the legislation for 2026.

McMaster is term-limited and cannot run for governor in November. That means Bannister and other pro-gambling legislators will likely take a run at casino gambling in 2027. But the sports betting bill is advancing, which signals that either McMaster could be persuaded, or the South Carolina Senate believes it can attract enough votes to override his veto.

What Does Senate Bill 444 Include?

Senate Bill 444, sponsored by Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) and Sen. Matthew Leber (R-Johns Island), would legalize mobile sports betting throughout the state of South Carolina. It sets a tax rate of 12.5% on operators, and would create a commission to regulate sports betting in the state.

Interestingly, SB 444 would set the age of sports betting in the state at 18, rather than the standard 21. This would make South Carolina one of just six states to offer legalized sports betting at 18, joining Montana, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Kentucky and the District of Columbia.

However, 18-year-olds would have a limited choice of sportsbooks, as most big name sportsbooks, such as FanDuel and Caesars, restrict wagers to 21 and over. DraftKings is a notable exception, accepting wagers from 18-year-olds where legislation permits it.

Wagers on collegiate and professional sports would be permitted, and no more than eight sportsbooks could operate in the state. Additionally, there will be no opportunity for a local sportsbook; the bill requires sportsbooks to operate in at least five other jurisdictions to be considered for a South Carolina sports betting license.

What Does Senate Bill 444 Not Address?

The bill doesn’t appear to say anything about whether collegiate prop plays will be permitted. It also doesn’t have any language regarding in-state college teams, such as the Clemson Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks. In practice, several states either do not permit individual prop plays on college sports, block wagers on any games involving in-state college teams, or both.

The legislation also doesn’t seem to have any language requiring a specific creation date. In practice, sportsbooks usually launch anywhere from six months to a year after the passage of a sports betting bill, with 180 days tending to be the standard.

How Likely Is Passage?

Gambling in South Carolina has a long history of coming close and falling short. In 1999, South Carolina’s Supreme Court shut down thousands of video poker machines in the state, representing one of the largest rollbacks of legal gambling in the United States. The state’s only successful endeavor in passing gambling came in 2000, when voters approved the creation of the state lottery.

Since then, South Carolina has watched neighbor North Carolina legalize sports betting. In 2024, the Tar Heel State took in $103 million in tax revenue from sports betting. With Charlotte right across state lines, it’s likely a decent percentage of that came from South Carolina residents.

But passage in 2026 would have to either overcome McMaster’s veto or get him onboard in an unlikely fashion. McMaster has shown no instance of budging on gambling in the state, meaning two-thirds of both chambers would have to override him.

History says that’s unlikely. In 2025, the South Carolina House passed a bill that would have legalized betting on horse racing in the state, but the bill stalled out in the Senate. If the bill does overcome the odds, sports betting in South Carolina would likely arrive in late 2026 or early 2027.