The South Carolina Legislature is scheduled to end its 2025 session in under two weeks on Thursday, May 8. With a gaming bill remaining in a House subcommittee, the prospects for the casino legislation are virtually nonexistent.
House Bill 4176 aims to permit commercial casinos on Interstate 95 in regions where local county governments have enacted ordinances favoring slot machines, table games, and sports betting. Casino.org reported last week on the proposal being evaluated by the House Ways and Means Revenue Policy Subcommittee, where a vibrant public discussion took place.
Advocates and detractors of permitting Las Vegas-style casinos in the Palmetto State expressed their views. Following hours of testimony, the subcommittee chose to skip voting on HB4176.
Neither the subcommittee nor the full Ways and Means Committee has any further meetings planned before May 8. This suggests that the 2025 casino initiative is likely a failure.
Not a Complete Loss
Advocates for South Carolina enjoying the advantages of legalized casinos assert that the 2025 initiative was worthwhile. Democrats stated that numerous Republicans in the GOP-led General Assembly have softened or reduced their opposition to gambling, a change that may set the stage for a gaming bill to pass next year.
"This is an opportunity, a transformational opportunity, an economic opportunity, and it’s one that I believe we cannot at this point ignore,” said Rep. Jerry Govan (D-Orangeburg).
Govan denotes the county where Republican major donor Wallace Cheves has urged legislators to permit him to construct a casino resort at the closed Santee Outlets, a retail center he has possessed for years.
“We strongly believe that this investment should be driven by private enterprise, not taxpayer dollars, ensuring no financial risk to the public sector. That’s why we are fully committed to not seeking a single dime of local or state funding,” Cheves said in an email to the South Carolina Daily Gazette.
Interstate Travel
HB4176 would have restricted casinos to the I-95 corridor, the interstate highway extending from the Canadian border in Maine down to Miami. Rather than casinos targeting local patrons, Cheves and proponents of HB4176 argued that the I-95 element would enable the resorts to customize their services for visitors traversing the bustling Atlantic coast highway.
"Our people, schools, and businesses will benefit dramatically as people traveling on I-95 will no longer pass us by but make us a destination place to visit and spend their money,” said Sen. Brad Hutto (D-Orangeburg).
Cheves’ rundown, dilapidated outlet mall, if South Carolina approves casinos and grants him a license, would be torn down to pave the way for a $1 billion casino resort. Cheves mentions that the location, in addition to slots, tables, and sports wagering, would feature a hotel, several restaurants and bars, a venue for entertainment, and a spa.
The entrepreneur states that permitting casinos along I-95 in South Carolina would change the highway historically referred to as the “Corridor of Shame” into a “Corridor of Opportunity.” The "Corridor of Shame" denotes a series of small, underserved rural communities located along I-95. The towns are recognized for low student performance and school disregard.
Cheves claims his casino could rejuvenate the Santee area similarly to how the BMW plant uplifted the upstate and the Boeing factory benefited the Lowcountry.
