Many states benefit from online gambling
As North Carolina becomes one of the 38 states to adopt legalized online gambling, its industry quickly began reporting substantial profits, and South Carolina's legislators took notice. North Carolina's gambling revenue exceeded $1 billion in the first two months of operation, and the state's tax revenue rapidly rose to hundreds of millions of dollars.
Stephen Shapiro, a professor in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management at the University of South Carolina, pointed out in an interview with the local news media "Charleston City Paper" that the economic benefits brought to the Palmetto State are one of the driving factors for the state to emulate North Carolina's successful approach to legalizing sports betting.
The success in tax revenue in North Carolina is tempting. I believe that (sports betting) has a high likelihood of being legalized in the coming years.
Stephen Shapiro, Professor at the University of South Carolina Despite multiple incentives and successful examples to follow, South Carolina still struggles to legalize online sports betting. In 2022, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham proposed two bipartisan bills, initiating a collaborative effort. However, despite extensive lobbying efforts, both bills failed to gain support and gradually disappeared.
Any proposal must overcome strong opposition
South Carolina could gain millions of dollars in tax revenue from legalizing online sports betting, but in the current political climate, this might not be enough. Governor Henry McMaster has consistently opposed the legalization of sports betting and has shown no signs of wavering. Even if legislators supporting gambling have the political will to push the issue and gain the necessary support, they still need to win public support.
Given that a recent study by the University of Southern California and UCLA has shown that vulnerable groups face significant gambling harm risks, convincing South Carolinians of the benefits of online sports betting may become increasingly difficult. Brett Hollenbeck, co-author of the study, revealed that easy access to gambling opportunities significantly lowers the quality of life for low-income individuals.
For a small but significant proportion of residents within the state, once gambling is legalized, they will fall into considerable financial difficulty.
Brett Hollenbeck, Associate Professor at UCLA Although supporters of sports betting do not intend to give up, the current mood makes legalization by 2025 unlikely. Any new proposal must carefully balance economic benefits with social risks while addressing political opposition. Industry experts unanimously believe that online sports betting in South Carolina is only a matter of time, but this latest initiative may not be so.
