With South Carolina gubernatorial primary elections set for Tuesday, the winner of the race to lead the state may have a big say on any form of gambling legalization.
Republican candidates revealed their thoughts on the issue in April. Just two of the four GOP candidates that appeared in a debate seemed open to the issue, and the Democratic field has some mixed views as well.
Democrat Billy Webster supports legalizing just a single casino to bring an economic lifeline to an economically disadvantaged area of the state. That would also depend on the potential benefit for the county and state, and having infrastructure in place to handle the influx of visitors to the area.
Democrat Mullins McLeod echoed the sentiments of some GOP candidates, arguing that casinos bring crime and other social ills, according to the South Carolina Daily Gazette.
Like Republican candidate U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, Democrat state Rep. Jermaine Johnson believes the issue should be decided by ballot initiative, letting voters decide the future of gambling in the state.
Republicans, Democrats Skew Along Similar Views
The Palmetto State has seen several attempts to legalize casinos over the last few years. The latest came in January, but that bill died.
The Democrats’ views on the issue are basically the same as the GOP field, with a mix of support and opposition, with some favoring a ballot initiative to decide the issue.
On the Republican side, US Rep. Ralph Norman was against bringing gambling to the state. He argued that with casinos “you get child trafficking, you get sex trafficking, you get all types of abuse. I will be opposed to that and I will fight it.”
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson echoed many of those same concerns. State Sen. Josh Kimbrell was open to some forms of gambling, but adamantly opposed to online gaming, However, Kimbrell dropped out of the race last week.
Mace was open to letting voters decide and pointed out that online gambling is already happening on prediction markets. Many in the state may also be using offshore, unregulated platforms.
“It’s already here,” she said. “I would want to review any legislation (and) regulations. I’d want to know what the Legislature says. We are a republic, and they’re representatives of their constituencies. I’d be open to doing a referendum – what do the people of South Carolina want?”
Current Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette is also running, but didn’t participate in the debate where candidates outlined their views on the issue. However, the Daily Gazette reports that she had received more than $20,000 from a developer that has proposed the construction of a casino in the state.
Millionaire businessman Rom Reddy is also running, but didn’t attend the debate. He also seems opposed to casinos and detailed his opposition in a FitsNews column in January, expressing concerns about child trafficking.
Tight GOP Race
With the primary set for Tuesday, the Republican race remains tight. Evette, who received the endorsement of President Trump, is supported by 17% of likely Republican voters, according to a recent poll from The Citadel.
Mace and Wilson checked in at 16% with Norman and Reddy at around 13-15%. Some other polls have shown Evette as high as 23%. A run-off on the GOP side seems likely.
On the Democrat side, recent polls have shown Johnson leading the pack at around 27-33%. He is followed by Webster at 14-18% and McLeod at 6%.
Seeing a Democrat break through with a win in the general election would be quite a surprise as the state hasn’t elected a governor from that party since 1998.
Gaming Efforts In Other Southern States
As in South Carolina, gaming efforts in some other southern states have also come up short recently. In Georgia, lawmakers considered the issue in 2025, but two bills never received a vote in the full legislature.
Gambling bills proposed in Alabama earlier this year saw the same fate. A pair of proposals would have allowed voters to decide on adding a lottery, casinos, and sports betting. In Mississippi, the house approved an online sports betting bill in February, but the bill ultimately died in the senate.
The issue of casino expansion has been part of the race for North Carolina governor. A major Republican businessman and donor in the state has urged lawmakers to oppose casino expansion and to reject contributions from the gaming industry.
Bob Luddy, founder of CaptiveAire Systems, said the industry “creates long-term costs for law enforcement, Medicaid, and families.” His opposition comes as a Tarheel State tribal group announced the purchase of 240 acres of land in January with plans of building a casino on the site.
