South Carolina & Indiana Looking at Gambling Expansion in 2023

The current year is coming to an end. A look back shows that the U.S. online gambling industry went through big changes with plenty of new states joining the fray. As the end of the year approaches, it looks like there is going to be lots of online gambling legislation getting consideration.

South Carolina Has Gambling Legislation on the Table

Other than Utah and Hawaii, it would be fair to state that South Carolina is the most restrictive state in terms of giving gambling access to residents. As things stand right now, South Carolina residents only have access to lotteries. That could change in 2023.

With the introduction of H 3095, the South Carolina legislature has an opportunity to expand gambling access in the state. The responsibility for considering this new legislation will fall in the laps of a new House that takes its seats on January 3, 2023. With the potential of creating a significant tax revenue stream, there is the motivation for the legislature to get something done this time.

In the new bill, Congress is opening the door to the possibility of

• Pari-Mutual Horse Race Wagering
  
• Retail and Online Sports Betting
  
• Retail and Online Casino Games
  

To make it a ballot initiative, 2/3 of the House and Senate would have to pass the bill. If that were to happen, the ballot initiative would go to the voters during the next election cycle.

Indiana Looking at Expanding Gambling Access

Unlike South Carolina, Indiana has already legalized Pari-mutual wagering on horses, retail casinos, and retail/online sports betting. It looks like the legislature is now ready to take the next step.

While the conversation has not yet resulted in any legislation, the power-to-be in the Indiana Legislature has apparently agreed in concept to meaningful changes within the Indiana gambling community.

According to Jake Garza of PlayIndiana, Sen. John Ford and Rep. Ethan Manning are ready to champion a new bill that would legalize online/mobile casino play. Based on the terms that have been discussed, here are some highlights:

• The state’s casinos and race tracks could run licensed online/mobile casinos (up to three (3) skins each)
  
• Online poker access could be added to the mix
  
• The Hoosier Lottery would be permitted to sell retail game tickets
  
• Initial online gambling fees would be set at $500,000 with a $50,000 per year renewal fee
  
• The revenue tax on online gambling gross revenue would be set at 18%
  

While it’s still early to tell when an actual bill might hit Congress, there is every reason to believe it could be sooner rather than later. After all, the terms of any new legislation have already been hammered out. All that’s really left to do is create the bill and get it to the floors of the House and Senate.

From there, it would likely get passed into law fairly quickly. Based on the state’s enormous success with retail/mobile sports betting, there is an expectation that the legislature is now ready to take the online casino plunge.