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Home » US Poker Laws – State by State Reviews » Online Poker in South Carolina

South Carolina has 4 casinos in which you'll find more than 775 slots and gaming machines. There are a total of 58 table games. Click a casino on the left for more information on a particular property. If you wish to stay at some nice casino hotels in South Carolina, visit the South Carolina casino hotels page. We actually have 0 South Carolina hotels you can book directly from World Casino. Online Lotto Legal Age in South Carolina South Carolina hadn’t legalized online lottery yet so we cannot say what will be the age for it, but for the regular lotto you must be at least 18 years old. We could only guess that this will be adopted in the future legislation of online gambling. The status of South Carolina's legal online gambling scene is supported by licensed offshore online platforms that is because the state has yet to regulate domestic online gambling. South Carolina is probably not the prime location for any resident or visitors seeking even a decent range of state-based gambling entertainment. This page contains information regarding available gambling options in South Carolina, state and federal gaming laws, and resources to licensed offshore online gambling.


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Online Poker in South Carolina
Last Updated January 2, 2020

Despite the state’s outwardly conservative stance, poker is alive and well in South Carolina. While you won’t find any major tournament events or top-tier poker rooms there, you can feel more than confident that poker is being played in homes, in clubs and – increasingly – over the Internet. With online poker sites bringing the game directly to residents long accustomed to having little or no access, more and more players from South Carolina are choosing these sites as their preferred way to play. Get a comprehensive overview of where poker stands now and where it’s likely to head in our Guide to Online Poker in South Carolina.

South Carolina Internet Poker Overview

From Charleston to Myrtle Beach, the checklist for South Carolina’s online poker players remains the same. They want safe rooms that charge low rake and offer big-ticket rewards. Plus they want rooms that are correctly licensed to offer online poker in SC. We’re happy to say that, through our extensive experience with online poker sites in South Carolina, we’ve built a list of rooms that meet those requirements:

Poker Sites Open to Players From Your State
Bovada$500 Bonus3-4 Day PayoutsAccepts Visa, Bitcoin, Wires
Ignition$2000 Bonus3-4 Day PayoutsAccepts Visa, Bitcoin, Wires
Intertops$600 Bonus5 Day PayoutsAccepts Visa, Wires
BetOnline$2500 Bonus5-7 Day PayoutsAccepts Visa, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Wires
Sportsbetting$2500 Bonus5-7 Day PayoutsAccepts Visa, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Wires

Where Can South Carolinians Play Poker Online?

There are basically two types of states in the US when it comes to online poker: states like Kentucky where you’ll face restrictions when trying to sign up at online poker sites, and states like South Carolina where no such restrictions exist. The online poker situation in America is always fluid, and we are constantly updating these guides to reflect the latest developments, but as of our most recent analysis we find no restrictions on South Carolina players at the major US-facing online poker sites.

South Carolina Gambling & Poker Laws Summarized

Type/CodeSummary
State Code Section(s)16.19; 52.5
Definition of Unlawful Gaming TablesAny person who shall set up, keep, or use any gaming table, roley-poley table, table to play at rouge et noir, faro bank, any other gaming table or bank of the like kind or of any other kind for the purpose of gaming and used for gambling purposes except the games of billiards, bowls, chess, draughts, and backgammon.
Online Poker/GamblingSouth Carolina is very unlikely to consider legalizing online poker or any type of internet casino gaming.
Live PokerThere is no live poker allowed in South Carolina in the form of cash games or tournaments.
CasinosCasinos are not legal in South Carolina.
Sports BettingThere is a bill remaining open in the South Carolina House to legalize sports betting, but it seems unlikely to pass in 2018.
DFSA bill was introduced in 2016 to legalize daily fantasy sports contests but did not pass.
Other Forms of GamblingHorse racing, social table games, lottery, charitable bingo

South Carolina Law Regarding Online Poker Games

What do they think about online poker down in Columbia at the South Carolina Statehouse? The age and complexity of South Carolina gambling law makes that a tougher question to answer than it might at first seem. As a result, those who need definitive answers must consult a lawyer. Those who are seeking more information simply for their own edification should review the following list that briefly articulates the core aspects of South Carolina gambling law:

There is not a specific definition of gambling, betting or wagering found in South Carolina law.

Instead, South Carolina defines what it means to engage in gambling through the charge of “Unlawful games and betting” (Section 16-19-40). The section is quite lengthy and you should review it personally, but the gist is that any type of betting is verboten, and some games – those that use cards, dice or “gaming tables” – are illegal to play even if no betting is involved.

In fact, by the letter of South Carolina law it’s illegal to play any sort of game on Sundays. That’s from Section 16-19-70:

“Whoever shall keep or suffer to be kept any gaming table or permit any game or games to be played in his house on the Sabbath day, on conviction thereof before any court having jurisdiction, shall be fined in the sum of fifty dollars, to be sued for on behalf of, and to be recovered for the use of, the State.”

In addition to those charges, players could also be subject to a charge of “Keeping unlawful gaming tables” (Section 16-19-50), which reads:

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“Any person who shall set up, keep, or use any (a) gaming table, commonly called A, B, C, or E, O, or any gaming table known or distinguished by any other letters or by any figures, (b) roley-poley table, (c) table to play at rouge et noir, (d) faro bank (e) any other gaming table or bank of the like kind or of any other kind for the purpose of gaming, or (f) any machine or device licensed pursuant to Section 12-21-2720 and used for gambling purposes except the games of billiards, bowls, chess, draughts, and backgammon, upon being convicted thereof, upon indictment, shall forfeit a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars and not less than two hundred dollars.”

South Carolina gambling law makes no mention of the Internet, online gambling or transmission of gambling information.

All money involved in illegal gambling – including money staked, bet or pending – can be seized by South Carolina authorities (Section 16-19-80).

To continue reading on this issue, consult the online version of South Carolina state code .

Is South Carolina Going to Regulate Online Poker?

We feel comfortable asserting that South Carolina will not legalize online poker sites at any point in the near term. The state’s historical resistance to gambling expansion coupled with a lack of any visible support for online gambling regulation suggest a dim future indeed for regulated online poker in South Carolina.

South Carolina Gambling Facts

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It pretty much comes down to charitable gambling (bingo only) and the state lottery in South Carolina. There is apparently an implied acceptance of very limited social gambling, but that’s more a matter of enforcement – South Carolina law itself does not make a direct exception for gambling in a social context.

South Carolina: Regulated Online Gambling

There are no state-regulated forms of online gambling in South Carolina. There are states – Nevada, for instance – that issue online gambling licenses to certain operators, and there are other states that permit certain forms of online gambling under the law (such as online pari-mutuel wagering in Kentucky). South Carolina does neither.

Learning More About Gambling in South Carolina

Catawba Indian Nation. Official site for the Catawba, who are pushing for the ability to build a casino on their reservation. Access schedules, quarterly reports for members and a selection of external news relevant to the Catawba.

PlayResponsiblySC . Problem gambling resource site provided by the South Carolina Education Lottery. Provides users with toll-free hotline, basic literature and an index of related resources.

Pechanga.net: South Carolina . Constantly updated list of national and local news pieces concerning South Carolina and gambling, with a focus on tribal gambling stories.

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Sources & Citations For This Article on South Carolina Online Poker

It is unusual to describe a gambling situation as tragic. Some states, like Utah, have never been fans of games of chance at all. Other states have gradually introduced elements of gaming and have steadily increased their participation or held relatively steady. South Carolina, on the other hand, may be the only state in the US to have dipped its toes in the water, then run screaming in the opposite direction.

Sweepstakes casinos in South Carolina

Social casino options

The typical operators of social casinos are available in South Carolina. In fact, Big M Casino, the cruise casino operator from Little River offers its own link to Double Down Casino – the largest of the social casinos. Otherwise, Slotomania, BigFish, ZyngaPoker, and all the usual options are available in South Carolina.

However, given the strict and prohibitive nature of South Carolina’s current gambling laws, it is advisable to proceed with caution on any site that has real-world promotions, such as MyVegas. Because any gambling or even mere ownership of gambling devices is illegal, it would be an unfortunate situation to face fines, confiscation, jail time, or a combination of the three simply because a player tried to redeem some loyalty points.

Sc Online Gambling Laws

Online gambling

South Carolina’s gambling laws are some of the strictest in the nation. Rarely are statutes written with so little ambiguity. The laws are more analogous to drug laws than the ones typically seen in gambling regulations. In fact, the laws are so stringent on any type of gambling that it doesn’t even make sense to speak about the notion of an online casino in South Carolina.

State casino operator history

It used to be quite a sight. South Carolina had tens of thousands of video lottery terminals – which were de factovideo poker machines. In October 1999, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the machines were unconstitutional. They were requires to be shut down by June 2000, which they were.

At that point, a large portion of public opinion had turned against the machines. In no small part because of a particularly brutal story of a baby suffocating while its mother played video poker. Unfortunately, South Carolinians blamed the presence of the machines for this tragedy. As such, the multi-billion-dollar industry vanished in the summer of 2000.

This reversal is unique. Most states either introduce gambling slowly and increase offerings steadily over decades, or they introduce minimal gambling, like lotteries and racetracks, and stand pat. For a state to withdraw to an anti-gambling position is quite remarkable. For a state to reverse into one of the most restrictive situations in the country is even odder.

And yet, that is the situation in South Carolina. The gambling statutes for the Palmetto State are among the most restrictive in the US. It is illegal to have casino gambling, so there are no casinos within state lines. There are also no horsetracks, dogtracks, pari-mutuel facilities, or offtrack betting options to be found. Furthermore, it’s unlawful to even own gambling devices or tables, even if they are not being used in any way for promotion of gambling. Their mere possession constitutes an illegal act.

Legal gaming options

The only exceptions are strictly controlled social games (home poker games, mahjong, bridge, etc.), the state lottery, and charitable bingo games. The only other option for South Carolinians to gamble is to take one of two casino cruises. These depart from Little River (near Myrtle Beach) and are both operated by The Big “M” Casino company.

Out-of-state options

Otherwise, the only options for residents of the Palmetto State are three-to-four hours of driving away. The two Harrah’s Cherokee properties in Western North Carolina offer the nearest glimmers of possibility. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort is the closer of the two – accessible from Columbia in just over three hours.

There is a bit of hope on the horizon. As is often the case, South Carolina has run into budget problems in the last few years. Specifically, the state of South Carolina’s roads has become a dangerous proposition. They are in need of an infusion of money and repair. Public opinion has swayed toward casinos as an option for addressing this need.

Possible changes ahead

Efforts are already underway. Rep. Todd Rutherford introduced H 3102 late last year. The bill, a joint resolution, proposes an amendment to South Carolina’s state constitution that would provide for the General Assembly to specify certain areas of the state for the development of full Las Vegas-style casinos. The bill is quite broad and would even allow the introduction of pari-mutuel betting and sports betting on professional sports.

So far, the bill is still with the judiciary committee, and no updates to its status have occurred since January – not a good sign. Still, for a state with such stringent anti-gambling regulations, the fact that the bill is even under consideration highlights both the changing mindset of voters in the state and the level of desperation the government is feeling to fix the roads. However, the path to legalization is long and would require a voter referendum to approve it, even if the bill makes it past the legislative body.

South Carolina is one of the toughest spots for gamblers. Not only are in-state options limited, but also out-of-state options are scarce. The state’s most prominent neighbor, Georgia, has no casinos, either. Still, times are changing, the old guard is moving on, and one can never tell what may happen … even in South Carolina. Below is a list of the nearest options for South Carolinians, limited and inconvenient though they may be.

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Nearest casino or gambling options

South Carolina Sports Betting

PropertyLocationDistance from ColumbiaDistance from Charleston
Big M Casino (casino cruises)Little River, SC166 miles120 miles
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino ResortCherokee, NC198 miles307 miles
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & HotelMurphy, NC256 miles365 miles

Can You Bet Online In South Carolina

State legal environment

Permitted/Offered?Notes & Restrictions
Land-based GamblingNoExtremely strict statutes - even ownership of gambling paraphernalia (like roulette wheels or poker tables) is outlawed.
Online GamblingNo
LotteryYesIn-state and multi-state drawings offered
Charitable or House-based GamblingYesAllowed, but under very strict definitions – caution is advised to maintain compliance with the law.
Minimum Gambling Age18 for lottery; 21 for casino cruises