With a New Bill on the Table, Could South Carolina Get Its First Casino?
Estimates Suggest That a Single Project Could Generate 5,000 Jobs
Shuffling the Deck
When it comes to gambling, South Carolina has always sat at the conservative end of the table. However, a new legislative effort is making casino news as it could shuffle the deck for good, and give the Palmetto State its first full-fledged casino resort.
House Bill 4176, known as the “I-95 Economic and Education Stimulus Act,” proposes to change the local gambling regulations by allowing for a controlled rollout of betting casinos in select counties.
🇺🇸 Developer Pushes For SC Bill To Allow $1b Casino Project
▫Nick Sullivan
▫https://t.co/95nqiKIRqw#frontpagestoday #USA @theobserver 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/BMIXaGZ4Bx— 𝙵𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚝 𝙿𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜 𝚃𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢 📰 (@ukpapers) March 21, 2025
Ante Up: House Bill 4176
Introduced on March 6, 2025, the bill proposes the creation of the South Carolina Gaming Commission to regulate the expansion of casino gambling.
Licenses would be limited to “economically distressed” counties along I-95 and specifically to:
- Orangeburg
- Marlboro
- Dillon
Proponents see casinos as tools for job creation and revenue generation in these areas which have been hit hard by economic downturn in the last couple of years.
Under the proposal, only one casino license will be issued. The permit will be for 15 years with a 5-year option to renew. No additional licenses will be issued for a decade, to keep expansion slow and controlled.
Applicants will have to pay a non-refundable $500,000 application fee, plus a $2 million licensing fee if approved. They must also have at least 10 years of experience running casino ventures.
Currently, casino gambling supports 1.8 million jobs across the US and generates $52.7 billion in tax & tribal revenue as of February 27, 2025, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).
Social Concerns
Supporters argue that a multi-million dollar casino along I-95 could revitalize communities that have struggled with unemployment and underfunded schools for decades.
For example, the Santee area in Orangeburg County has a proposed $1 billion resort plan. Early estimates suggest this could create 5,000 jobs and pump $75 million a year into local governments.
However, critics point out that casino gambling has its problems. Studies show that communities near cash casinos have higher rates of problem gambling.
Governor Henry McMaster has been a consistent opponent of gambling and may veto the bill if it gets to his desk.
A Historical Aversion to Betting
For decades South Carolina has had some of the oldest gambling laws in the country and has failed to regulate anything from private card rooms to sports betting.
A few cash casinos on riverboats have skirted these laws by sailing beyond the 3-mile limit into international waters, thus allowing gamblers to play blackjack for money before returning to port.
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Constitutional Hurdles & Voters’ Verdict
Even if House Bill 4176 passes the legislature and gets enough votes to override a veto, a constitutional amendment would still be required to allow casinos. So the people would have the final say at the ballot box.
The outcome is far from certain in a very conservative state, so don’t hold your breath for a discussion involving online casinos soon.
Though the odds have been against such bills in the past, this proposal is the most serious roll of the dice that South Carolina has taken in years.
Whether the state decides to hold ’em or fold ’em, 2025 will be a big year for casinos in South Carolina.
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