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Gambling and online casinos remain illegal in South Carolina, but there is a workaround for those who wish to partake in sports betting in the state - fantasy sports betting.
Several states where online gambling remains illegal (including Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Missouri) recently required that online betting sites be shut down, stating that betting operators are claiming their offerings are “contests” and not a form of gambling.
However, states where online casinos are banned allow sports betting as a form of “game of skill”, which circumvents the definition of “gambling”. This differs from typical casino games offered by the fastest payout casinos and other online gambling sites, where players spend and win real money online, without ever leaving their homes. These sites, despite their benefits and convenience, remain illegal in several states.
South Carolina has laws that prohibit gambling on sports teams. Yet, there is a loophole. Federal law has legalized wagers on fantasy sports. This involves individuals or groups that assemble an imagery team consisting of real players. They then monitor how these fantasy teams perform in real games. Bettors are wagering on the individual performances of the players, not on the outcome of the games.
Some betting sites offer what has been labeled “daily fantasy sports”. As with standard fantasy sports betting, bettors still wager on player performances or stats. The difference is that these bets have a shorter time period - usually a single day. The bettors are also not wagering against other bettors, instead, they are betting against “the house” - which can either be a computer algorithm or a gaming expert.
The short-term bets and betting against the house have now blurred the lines between illegal gambling and fantasy betting. This style of betting is closer to what you would find on Vegas’ sports books, and not closely related to casually wagering against your friends.
Dustin Gouker, a gambling consultant at Closing Line Consulting in Oregon said, “These games, logistically and mechanically, are exactly the same as sportsbooks.”
Despite mimicking illegal sports betting, daily fantasy sports remain a gray area in South Carolina.
South Carolinians do have a legal sports betting neighbor, though. North Carolina legalized sports gambling in March, which means residents of South Carolina can cross the state border to engage in a legal and regulated sports gambling market.
There has been progress in the state in terms of gambling. Two gambling bills were proposed during the SC General Assembly session. One is to legalize online horse betting, while the other is to legalize bets on horse races and other sports.
Naturally, these bills are faced with strong opposition from the conservative leadership. Representative David Hiott stated, “I just don’t think we need to supply that temptation in the state of South Carolina.”
Those in support of the bills are of the opinion that “If they want to use money to wager on a horse race every now and then, then they should have the right to do that.”
Despite the federal ban on gambling being lifted in 2018, stating it was unconstitutional, South Carolina is yet to legalize sports betting. Until then, bettors will be able to enjoy daily fantasy contests to wager real money on fantasy teams.
