Joe Cunningham, former US Congressman and Democratic candidate for Governor, announced on Thursday his support for legalizing sports betting in South Carolina. His proposal would allow residents to bet on sports through mobile apps and at brick and mortar locations throughout the Palmetto State, according to a press release.
“It is time to give South Carolinians the same freedom people in 30 other states enjoy and finally legalize sports betting,” said Cunningham. “This is about freedom and generating new revenue for our state to tackle our biggest challenges.”
The statement shared by Cunningham’s office cites data from the American Gaming Association, which predicts over 31 million Americans will make a wager on the Super Bowl on Sunday, with over $7 billion in bets. Sports betting is currently legal in 30 states and Washington, D.C., with three additional markets awaiting launch.
“All of our neighboring states have either legalized sports betting or they are taking steps to do so, and South Carolina once again finds itself at an economic disadvantage,” added Cunningham. “I’m tired of letting North Carolina and Georgia reap the benefits of new industries because South Carolina politicians won’t get out of our way.”
Let’s be honest – sports betting is already happening in SC. It’s just underground, unregulated, and brings in no tax revenue for the state. Legalizing it simply provides people more freedom while also generating more revenue for our schools and roads.https://t.co/FHhcwyDw84
— Joe Cunningham (@JoeCunninghamSC) February 10, 2022
According to the candidate for Governor, legalizing sports betting in South Carolina would allow the state “to fix real problems” and create good-paying jobs “without raising a single cent in taxes.” Cunningham and his team estimate that the state could generate “at least $40 million” each year in new tax revenue by legalizing sports gaming.
“The fact is sports betting is already happening in South Carolina; but it’s underground, unregulated, and brings in zero tax revenue for our state,” the former Congressman argued. “So we have two options: we can let the bookies run the entire industry and keep it underground with no tax revenue for our state, or we can bring it above board, regulate it, tax it, and fix problems with the money. This is a no-brainer.”
The political candidate also took aim at current Governor McMaster. Cunningham argues that by opposing legal sports betting, McMaster is making South Carolina “less business-friendly” and puts the state “at a competitive disadvantage” over neighboring states which have already legalized their markets.
$7 billion will be wagered on the Super Bowl this year. But since SC is one of the few states that doesn’t allow sports betting, our state won’t see any of that revenue. With the state of our schools & roads, we can’t afford to pass up that kind of money.https://t.co/t72c1MGrNu
— Joe Cunningham (@JoeCunninghamSC) February 10, 2022
“Governor McMaster calls himself a free-market conservative, but what’s free-market about big government telling you that you can’t bet $20 on the Super Bowl on your phone?” Cunningham said in a press statement. “What’s free-market about letting North Carolina and Tennessee capture millions of dollars in tax revenue from South Carolina residents? It’s time for him to get on board or get out of the way.”
South Carolina is home to one of the strictest policies in gaming, with most forms of gambling historically banned up until 2011. While the state’s penal code does not technically prohibit online sports betting, the market operates outside of its legal jurisdiction and is not regulated.
Since the PASPA federal law was repealed in 2018, allowing for states to pass their own gaming legislation, South Carolina has attempted to legalize the market a number of times. However, none of the bills introduced thus far have been successful in passing.