SC folks are some of the biggest losers in gambling, survey says. Here’s why

South Carolina officials aren’t the biggest fans of gambling.

Throughout the state’s history, several laws have been implemented to prevent specific types of gambling, such as playing poker, sports betting and casinos, and as a result, the Palmetto State is one of the most restrictive states for betting.

In fact, the Palmetto State ranks 2nd in the country for its protections against online gambling, according to the Center for Addiction Science, Policy, and Research.

U.S. consumers lose more than $100 billion annually from placing a bet, while the industry makes billions of dollars in return, a primary reason why SC has gambling restrictions in place.

Some forms of gambling are still active in SC, however. The state-run South Carolina Educational Lottery legally allows the purchase of lottery tickets, scratch-offs, multi-state jackpots and daily number draws. In turn, all proceeds are contributed to education.

Even though sports betting is illegal in the state, online trading markets, such as Kalshi, are still technically accessible to SC residents as they face pushback and lawsuits from the state.

So despite how much the state tries to prevent gambling, SC is still among the most gambling-addicted states, ranking 16th in the country, according to WalletHub.

What’s more concerning is that when SC gamblers lose, they lose big.

A nationwide survey of over 2,000 people by VIP Grinders has revealed which states suffer the heaviest financial losses from gambling, and SC ranks towards the top of the list.

Here’s where the Palmetto State ranks and how much SC gamblers lose on their most costly bet:

SC gambling loss ranking

Nearly all the survey’s respondents said that they’ve lost at least some money from gambling, with an estimated 4.5 million US adults losing over $50,000 in a single session.

SC has an average single-session loss of $4,914, ranking it 10th in the country, according to the survey. This is a little more than the U.S.’s average largest single-session gambling loss, which is $4,632.

SC is also one of the most secretive states when it comes to reporting losses. According to the survey, 12.5% of SC respondents said that they always hide their losses from friends and family members. Only Louisiana and Mississippi have a higher percentage of people who keep their losses hidden.

10 states with most gambling losses

These 10 states, including SC, have the biggest single-session gambling losses in the U.S.

1. Arizona: Average biggest loss is $14,989
2. Mississippi: Average biggest loss is $9,744
3. Oregon: Average biggest loss is $9,201
4. Michigan: Average biggest loss is $9,166
5. California: Average biggest loss is $6,616
6. Georgia: Average biggest loss is $6,563
7. Pennsylvania: Average biggest loss is $5,840
8. New York: Average biggest loss is $5,641
9. Texas: Average biggest loss is $5,330
10. South Carolina: Average biggest loss is $4,914