Officials in South Carolina say a minimal legislative change could add 50 million to the state's budget, which could be spent on the educational sector. The innovation would also make it convenient for lottery players to try their luck while other gambling would remain banned.
There are only three states in the US where lottery tickets are sold exclusively for cash. And South Carolina is one of them. However, there is every chance the situation will change, mainly since the relevant initiative has found significant support in the House of Representatives. According to Dolly Garfield, executive director of the South Carolina Education Lottery Commission, this will attract a younger audience since the younger generation, as a rule, does not carry cash and uses debit and digital payment methods. Consequently, they cannot purchase lottery tickets, even if they desire to do so. As a result, lottery players are simply getting older and older.
To make a difference, the commission has asked lawmakers to allow South Carolina residents to buy lottery tickets by paying with debit cards. This isn't the first time this has been requested—the commission has taken a similar initiative several times. This time, however, it is hoped that the change will be passed thanks to the support of Governor Henry McMaster, who in turn asked lawmakers to do the same.
Some legislators have come out strongly against it. They argue that allowing the purchase of lottery tickets using bank cards will not have a particularly noticeable effect. Lawmakers explain this point of view by the fact that the state already has online establishments where it is entirely free to play gambling games, including lotteries. And all visitors can pay for them with bank cards. Some, such as Mostbet and 1win, even offer various bonuses and promo codes when depositing with bank cards. For example, the Mostbet promo code allows the participant to activate additional rewards used in lotteries.
If the bill passes, the additional lottery revenue would fund educational programs, particularly college scholarships.
Due to increased sales during the pandemic, lottery revenues skyrocketed, but after the pandemic ended, sales also dropped to pre-pandemic levels. The commission is looking for ways to raise them, and a survey showed that nearly half a million new players would buy tickets if they could pay for them with a debit card.
The calculations showed that the changes would generate about $186 million a year, about $52 million of which would go to the state, while the rest would be paid to the winners.
The Senate Majority Leader noted that senators realize that most people today simply don't carry cash. Increased sales could fund scholarships for college, elementary, and high school students. However, House leaders say they do not fully favor the idea. The bill is still being debated in the Senate.
