Governor hopeful Joe Cunningham wants SC to legalize sports betting
Days before bettors place their final wagers on the Super Bowl, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham is making a pitch to allow sports gambling in South Carolina.
Cunningham on Thursday called for South Carolina to legalize sports betting at brick-and-mortar locations, online and on mobile apps, a move he estimated could bring in about $40 million a year to the state in new revenue.
“This is about freedom, this is about personal liberty,” said Cunningham, a former South Carolina congressman for the 1st District. “We don’t need government telling you whether you could bet on tonight’s NBA game or Sunday’s Super Bowl.”
An estimated 31 million people will wager $7 billion on the Super Bowl Sunday.
Sports betting has grown popular since 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that barred sports betting in most states.
Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia allow sports betting. Seven more states are considering it, according to the American Gaming Association.
North Carolina has legalized sports betting at two Cherokee casinos and is considering whether to allow people to make wagers on their cell phones. Georgia lawmakers also are considering whether to allow gambling.
South Carolina lawmakers last year began studying the horse industry, something which may in the future open up wagers on horse races in the state.
The only gambling permitted in South Carolina is through the lottery.
Cunningham said the potential $40 million from sports gambling could be spent on roads and schools. Cunningham also said the state could use some of the money to help with gambling addiction programs. For perspective, state lawmakers last year adopted a state spending plan of more than $10 billion.
Cunningham’s estimate is based off of an Action Network analysis that estimated how much money states could bring in from sports betting. The website based its analysis on how sports betting is taxed in New Jersey, which legalized it in 2018.
New Jersey taxes 8.5% for wins on in-person wagers and 13% for wins at online sportsbooks or on mobile apps.
Ultimately, how much South Carolina could bring in depends on how sports betting would be taxed.
“It’s just happening in the shadows,” Cunningham said of sports betting. “It’s happening in the dark. Bringing this to light, regulating it and taxing it can be a net benefit and help reduce crime.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
