There is a boom in casinos vying to be first-time hosts in recent months as yet another state has recently joined that growing list.
South Carolina is the newest state set to build their maiden land-based casino after local lawmakers in the Palmetto State started inquiries over the potential beginning of the live gaming industry.
South Carolina’s Gambling and Casino History
While South Carolina does have a tiny boat casino known as Big “M” Casino, it has long been a state with strict laws against gambling. SC is not one of the states that embraced the onslaught on sports betting legalization that has swept across the nation.
As a region, the southeast has generally stayed away as neighboring states Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina have enjoyed few casino opportunities.
The only major one is Harrah’s Cherokee in the Smokey Mountains. And thanks to that dearth, Cherokee is a very popular casino location for gamblers.
For poker players, the Cherokee WSOP Circuit stop is among the top WSOP circuit destinations, and happens about four times a year there.
It is evident that the region is overall starved for a new casino.
The New Proposal
The proposal in SC was made by Santee Development Corporation in the very small town of Santee, SC. The idea in the proposal is that a casino would bring in an economic boom to the area while also bringing in as many as four million out-of-state visitors a year.
It could also generate a lot of income for Orangeburg County and create thousands of new jobs.
The big obstacle to such a proposal coming to fruition is the government restriction. Legislators in SC would need to get a bill passed to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws and also establish the first ever South Carolina Gaming Commission.
One of the main positives of this proposal is that it will not be funded with public money. No taxes will go towards it, rather it will be funded through private funds. That is likely to help assure proponents of its viability in an area of the country that is very conservative when it comes to anything related to gambling.
Adjacent Situation in New York City
While the stakes and areas of the country involved are vastly different, there is a similar situation in New York City with a plethora of proposals to bring the first ever casino to the New York City area.
Like the SC situation, the potential casino would be the first of its kind in its area as the Big Apple does not currently have a casino.
That particular situation has received preliminary approval from the NYC Council. Such a decision from a governing body would be the next step for the proposal in South Carolina.