Written by Tony J. Spain, Palmetto Examiner
January 29, 2026
The
odds of South Carolina allowing casino gambling just got worse as House members
sent a bill that would have allowed for the state’s first casino to be built
back to the House Ways and Means Committee, essentially taking the chips off
the table before it could get a vote on the House floor.
The odds of the South Carolina legislature allowing the state to build its
first Casino were a real long shot even if the House had passed it with the
State Senate leadership showing little interest in it and Gov. Henry McMaster
an opponent to allow gambling outside of the state lottery.
“I’ve always opposed gambling as a means to raise revenue like this, starting
back with Caroll Campbell, when we really got moving on a lot of things, that’s
been the state’s position all along,” McMaster said while speaking to reporters
recently. “ I think the majority of the people in the state do not want casino
gambling, and I don’t either.”
Earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, said he
didn’t think the bill would move in the Senate.
“There’s been considerable opposition to gambling in the Senate for a number of
years, Massey said. “We’ve had considerable opposition over here even to
wagering on horse racing.”
The bill has been lobbied for by a developer who has wanted to build a casino
for several years in Orangeburg County along Interstate 95 near Lake Marion. It
is estimated the casino and resort would generate $100 million in tax revenue
for the state.
About the Author: Tony Spain is a former candidate for Richland County Council 2020 and an award winning former military photographer and journalist while in the Public Affairs Office for the U.S. Army. His photos and writing have been published in numerous publications such as The Commercial News, Danville, Ill.; The Paraglide, Fort Bragg, N.C.; Soldier of Fortune Magazine; The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C., FITSNews and more.
He lives in Columbia, S.C.
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