South Carolina Sports Betting: Legal Status & What to Know in 2026
South Carolina has not legalized sports betting. Here is where S.444 left off, how the 2026 governor's race could shift the outlook, and the legal options SC residents have today.
By
Eric Pauly
9 min read
Is Sports Betting Legal in South Carolina?
No. Sports betting is not legal in South Carolina as of November 2026, online or in person. No sportsbook holds a state license, and the legislative session closed in May without S.444, the state's main sports betting bill, getting a committee vote. Meanwhile, Fort Mill sits right on the North Carolina line, where DraftKings and FanDuel open legally the moment your phone's location checks out.
The more interesting story is the calendar. Gov. Henry McMaster, who has opposed every form of gambling expansion, is term-limited, and both nominees in the November 3 race to replace him have taken softer positions. This guide covers what S.444 proposed, why the state keeps stalling, what the governor's race could change, and what South Carolinians can legally use right now.
article Summary
Sports betting is not legal in South Carolina. S.444, which would have licensed up to eight online sportsbooks at a 12.5% tax rate, got a Senate subcommittee hearing in February 2026 but no vote before the session adjourned in May. The bigger variable is the November 3 governor's race, where Republican nominee Alan Wilson has said he supports legal online sports betting. Until then, residents can use pick'em apps like PrizePicks and Underdog, trade on CFTC certified prediction markets like Novig and ProphetX, or bet legally across the line in North Carolina.
S.444: The South Carolina Sports Betting Bill
S.444, filed in March 2025 by Republican Sens. Tom Davis and Matthew Leber, is the most detailed blueprint South Carolina has produced for legal sports betting. It never became law, but its terms are the likely starting point for whatever gets filed next.
What S.444 Would Authorize
The bill would have legalized online sports betting under a new state regulator. The core terms:
A nine-member South Carolina Sports Wagering Commission to license and oversee operators
Up to eight online sportsbook licenses, limited to operators already active in at least five other states
A $100,000 application fee and a $1 million license fee covering five years
A 12.5% tax on adjusted gross revenue, far below New York's 51%
A minimum betting age of 18, below the 21 most legal states require
Wagering on college sports permitted
Where the Bill Stands
A subcommittee of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee heard S.444 on February 18, 2026, the furthest a South Carolina sports betting bill has gone. Senators took testimony and did not vote. An identical House bill, H.3625, stalled after its lead sponsor resigned in January. When the General Assembly adjourned in May, neither bill had moved, and with the two-year session over, any new push starts with a fresh bill when lawmakers return on January 12, 2027.
Revenue Estimates
Supporters frame the revenue case as money already leaving the state, to North Carolina's apps and to offshore sites with no consumer protections. S.444 would have split tax revenue four ways:
82% to the state general fund
10% to local governments, split by population
5% to the Department of Mental Health for problem gambling treatment
3% to run the commission
Eight licenses at $1 million each would bring in up to $8 million before a single bet settled. Ongoing tax revenue for a state of about 5.4 million people depends on how many operators launch and how hard they promote, so treat any single projection with caution.
Why Legalization Faces Resistance in South Carolina
South Carolina's resistance is political, cultural, and structural, and only the political piece is about to change.
Governor Opposition
Gov. Henry McMaster has opposed gambling expansion throughout his tenure, and a veto override takes two-thirds of both chambers, a bar no gambling bill in Columbia has come close to. When I track bills state by state, the governor's position is the first thing I check, because a committed opponent in that office usually ends the conversation before a floor vote is scheduled.
That changes in January 2027. McMaster is term-limited, and the November 3 election pits two nominees with different views:
Alan Wilson (Republican), the current attorney general, has said he supports legal online sports betting because people are already betting on their phones, while opposing casinos.
Jermaine Johnson (Democrat), a state representative, has said he would leave sports betting to voters and act only if a referendum called for it.
A friendlier governor removes the veto threat. It does not write a bill or move one through the legislature.
Conservative Social Values and Religious Opposition
Faith groups carry real weight at the Statehouse, and opponents framed S.444 as a public health risk, an argument that lands hardest with rural legislators. Even Wilson has said he would want input from faith leaders and law enforcement before acting, so expect that opposition to shape any 2027 bill.
No Existing Gambling Infrastructure
South Carolina has no commercial casinos and no racetrack gaming. Its main legal gambling product is the South Carolina Education Lottery, and even that took a voter-approved constitutional amendment in 2000. Some legal analysts argue sports betting could need one too, which would add a statewide referendum to the timeline. Lawmakers here are not regulating an existing industry. They are deciding whether to create one, a heavier lift than North Carolina faced with tribal casinos already operating.
What South Carolina Residents Can Do Now
No sportsbook is coming soon, but pick'em apps and CFTC certified prediction markets both work in South Carolina today.
PrizePicks
PrizePicks is one of the largest daily fantasy operators in the U.S. and is open to South Carolina residents. You build an entry by picking More or Less on two or more stat lines, like Chuba Hubbard rushing yards for the Panthers or LaMelo Ball points for the Hornets, across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college sports, and more. Payouts are fixed multipliers, so the only lever you control is which lines you play. On legality: no South Carolina statute addresses daily fantasy directly. The apps serve the state openly and regulators have not challenged them, which is not a license, but it has held for years.
Underdog Fantasy
Underdog Fantasy runs its own pick'em game plus Best Ball drafts, and its line on a given player often differs from PrizePicks by a half point or more. That difference is the whole game. When I compare both apps against sportsbook prices on an NFL Sunday, the plays worth making are the lines one app left stale after the books moved.
Prediction Markets: Novig, ProphetX, and Kalshi
The biggest change for South Carolinians in 2026 came from federal regulators, not Columbia. Novig and ProphetX received CFTC designation in June 2026 and run as CFTC certified prediction markets, where you trade contracts on game outcomes peer to peer instead of placing a wager with a house. As of November 2026, both are available to South Carolina residents, as is Kalshi. Some state lawmakers have pushed back on prediction markets, so check each app's state list before funding an account. Start on Novig or ProphetX with code BETSMART, or compare the field in our roundup of prediction market platforms. BetSmart is a marketing partner of both platforms and may earn a commission when you sign up through these links.
Building Skills for When SC Legalizes
Pick'em research is prop research, and our page on player prop research tools covers the field. One of the cheapest entry points is Props.Cash, which lines up sportsbook prices next to pick'em apps, so if DraftKings moves Hubbard's rushing total up while PrizePicks still shows the old number, you see the gap before you build the entry. It costs $19.99 a month after a 7-day free trial with no card required, and code BETSMART takes 30% off your first month. Our Props.Cash review covers its limits, including lines that are not real-time. Log every entry too, using the habits in our guide to bankroll management and responsible gambling.
Neighboring States With Legal Sports Betting
South Carolina borders only two states, and they went in opposite directions. Georgia has no legal sports betting either, as our Georgia sports betting guide explains. North Carolina does, and for much of South Carolina it is a short drive.
North Carolina
North Carolina launched online sports betting on March 11, 2024, with DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, and bet365 among its apps. There is no residency requirement, only a location one: geofencing means your phone has to be inside North Carolina when you place the bet. Rough drive times to the state line:
Fort Mill and Rock Hill: minutes, with Charlotte about 25 miles from Rock Hill
Myrtle Beach: roughly 30 to 40 minutes north on US 17 toward Calabash
Greenville and Spartanburg: roughly 30 to 45 minutes north on I-26 or US 25
Columbia: about 90 minutes up I-77 to Charlotte
Charleston: two and a half hours or more, a big-event trip only
Tennessee and Virginia
Neither borders South Carolina, but both are regular stops on regional trips. Tennessee has run online-only sports betting since November 2020 and Virginia since January 2021, each with several competing apps. That competition is the point: the same spread carries a different price at each book, and the gap is where line shopping pays. Florida, by contrast, runs mobile betting through Hard Rock Bet alone.
Why Crossing the Border Matters for Big Events
A drive to Charlotte will not fit a Tuesday night NBA slate, but it can make sense for the Super Bowl, the opening weekend of March Madness, or Clemson against South Carolina. Download the apps and finish identity verification at home, since it can take a day. My routine on a big slate is to pull every book's number on the same market before placing anything, because the top and bottom price on a single NFL total can sit 10 to 15 cents apart.
OddsShopper automates that comparison across 110+ sportsbooks, flags positive expected value bets as prices move, and includes entry builders for PrizePicks, Underdog, and Sleeper you can use from home. Core runs $99.95 a month after a 7-day free trial, and signing up through our link takes 50% off your first month with no code needed. For the manual version, see our walkthrough on how to line shop.
Final Thoughts
South Carolina will not have legal sports betting in 2026. S.444 ran out of time, a constitutional referendum may still stand in the way, and faith groups are not losing influence at the Statehouse. What did change is the biggest variable: the next governor will not be Henry McMaster, and the Republican nominee has said he backs online sports betting. Watch the November 3 result and the bills filed in January. Until then, use pick'em apps and prediction markets at home, save North Carolina for the events worth the drive, and build the research habit a regulated market will reward.
South Carolina Sports Betting FAQ
Additional Resources
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