Is sports betting legal in South Carolina?

What the law says

There is no licensed sportsbook in South Carolina, no app and no counter, because there is no law that creates one. What the state does have is a gambling chapter in its criminal code. Section 16-19-130 of the South Carolina Code makes it a misdemeanor to engage in pool selling or bookmaking, or to record or register bets on the result of any "trial or contest of skill, speed or power of endurance of man or beast". The penalty is a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in prison, or both.

Most of that section is aimed at whoever takes and records the bets. What it means for the bettor on the other end is a question for a lawyer, and I'm not one, so I'll leave it there.

The bills on the table

Three measures before the legislature this session aim to change that, and on 28 October 2026 the bill status record showed none of them had moved past committee.

H. 3625, the South Carolina Sports Wagering Act, would make sports wagering lawful in certain circumstances and create a South Carolina Sports Wagering Commission. It was introduced on 14 January 2025 and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee, and that is its last action. S. 444, a Senate bill under the same name, was introduced on 12 March 2025 and referred to the Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry, with nothing since. H. 3353 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would let the General Assembly allow gambling, including betting on professional sports, in specified areas of the state. It has been in the House Judiciary Committee since 14 January 2025.

I don't make predictions about legislatures. A bill in committee is a bill in committee, and I'd wait for a vote before believing any headline.

Where the offshore books fit

North Carolina and Georgia sit on the border, and our pages on each say what they allow. An offshore book is not licensed by South Carolina or anybody in it, so if it voids a winner or sits on your withdrawal, there is no state office to take the complaint to. That's the trade, and I'd want any player to know it before he deposits. Hiding where you are from a book is its own mistake, which the VPN question explains. Whatever you win, the IRS says gambling winnings are fully taxable.

If betting is costing you more than money, call 1-800-GAMBLER, and see our page on responsible gambling.

*Checked against the South Carolina Code, Title 16 Chapter 19 and the South Carolina Legislature on 28 October 2026. Laws change; this page is re-checked every quarter. This is not legal advice.*