Skip to main content

South Carolina First State to Set Sports Betting Hearing in 2026

  • South Carolina has set a hearing for an online sports betting bill for later this month
  • S444 was introduced in the 2025 legislative session
  • Sports betting legalization has an uphill battle in the Palmetto State

An unlikely state is set to kick off the 2026 sports betting legalization season.

The South Carolina Senate has scheduled a hearing in the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 18, for S.444, a bill to legalize online sports betting in the state. The legislation was introduced on March 12, 2025, and carried over to the 2026 session.

South Carolina is the first state in 2026 to set a public hearing for an online sports betting bill.

South Carolina Sports Betting Bill Details

The bill, introduced by Sen. Tom Davis (R-46) and Sen. Matthew W. Leber (R-41), will allow for no more than eight online sports betting operators and sets an adjusted tax rate at 12.5% of gross sports betting revenue.

The legislation will establish a South Carolina Sports Wagering Commission to oversee the sports betting market and will only allow operators who are already established in at least five other states to apply for a sports betting license.

It will allow sports betting customers to place wagers on collegiate sports.

The bill requires all applicants to submit a $100,000 application fee and a licensing fee of $1 million. If the application is denied, the licensing fee will be refunded, but the application fee will remain with the state. Licenses will last for five years. Unlike the majority of most legalized states, South Carolina will set the legal age to bet on sports at 18.

The commission will officially set the sports betting tax rate at 12.5% of adjustable sports betting gaming revenues. Operators will be able to deduct promotional spending from their gross gaming revenues.

Sports betting tax revenues will be distributed as such:

  • 82% to the general fund
  • 10% to the general fund to be distributed quarterly to each local government in the state on a per capita basis, as determined by population based on the last census
  • 5% to the Department of Mental Health to oversee one or more grant programs with organizations to provide treatment services for individuals with problem gambling
  • 3% to provide for the administrative and operating expenses of the South Carolina Sports Wagering Commission

What Chance Does South Carolina Have?

While a hearing has been set for the bill, the Palmetto State’s chances to legalize online sports betting are still low.

Rep. Chris Murphy (R-98) introduced an identical bill, H. 3625, last year to legalize online sports betting and the bill was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. It never received a vote and did not pass through the subcommittee process.

Murphy, one of the main proponents of legalized online sports betting in South Carolina, resigned from the House on Jan. 5, 2026. While 10 co-sponsors of the bill still remain in the House of Representatives, the legislation faces an uphill battle for approval.

The post South Carolina First State to Set Sports Betting Hearing in 2026 appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.



from Sports Betting Dime https://ift.tt/evOfGW2
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Printable CFP Playoff Bracket – Make Your Picks to Win National Championship

The 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is set following Selection Sunday on December 7 Indiana claims the No. 1 overall seed after a perfect 13-0 season and Big Ten title Below, find SBD’s printable CFP bracket, first-round schedule, matchups and viewing info The 2025 College Football Playoff bracket is locked and loaded, and the Selection Committee delivered some serious drama on Sunday. Indiana sits atop the CFP bracket as the No. 1 seed after an undefeated season, while Notre Dame got left out in one of the most controversial snubs in playoff history. Now that we know all the matchups, SBD is publishing our annual printable CFP bracket. Simply click the bracket image below to open and download a printable PDF version you can fill out as the playoff progresses. We’ve also included the full College Football Playoff first-round schedule for each game, along with the matchups and viewing info. Printable CFP Bracket 2025 Click the image to download a printable PDF ver...
Post a Comment
Read more

Genesis Scottish Open Picks, Predictions & Odds for 2025

The 2025 Genesis Scottish Open tees off Thursday, July 10th, from North Berwick, Scotland Scottie Scheffler is the +340 favorite over 2023 champ Rory McIlroy See my 2025 Genesis Scottish Open odds, picks, and best value bets, below The world’s best golfers head overseas for the Genesis Scottish Open, a tournament co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, and it features plenty of star power. It’s contested at the Renaissance Club in Scotland, and it’s the final tune-up before the last major of 2025 – the Open Championship. Since this has been an official PGA Tour event, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Robert MacIntyre have won in dramatic fashion with one-stroke victories. Dating back to when this was just a DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) event, eleven of the past 14 champions have won by a single shot or emerged with the title in a playoff. Genesis Scottish Open Odds 2025 Golfer Odds Scottie Scheffler +340 Rory McIlroy +650 Xander Schauffe...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Players Championship Odds, Predictions, and Best Picks 2025

The Players Championship tees off Thursday, March 13th, 2025 Scottie Scheffler is the heavy +360 favorite to win this tournament for the third straight year See the 2025 Players Championship odds, picks, and best value bets below After Russell Henley won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour’s best head to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida for the “fifth major” – the Players Championship. It’s the crown jewel on the schedule, and the field is stacked as it tackles the quirky and confounding TPC Sawgrass, with Scottie Scheffler searching for a record third straight title at this tournament. 48 of the top 50 golfers in the world will be teeing it up (not Bryson DeChambeau or Tyrrell Hatton). The Players Championship Odds 2025 Golfers Odds Scottie Scheffler +360 Rory McIlroy +800 Collin Morikawa +1600 Xander Schauffele +1600 Ludvig Aberg +2000 Justin Thomas +2000 Hideki Matsuyama +2800 Tommy Fleetwood +3000 Patrick Cantlay +3...
1 comment
Read more