A proposal to authorize a casino along South Carolina’s Interstate 95 corridor appears unlikely to advance this year, after Gov. Henry McMaster made clear he will not support casino gambling, even under a revised plan that earmarked revenues for conservation.

The bill, which had generated early optimism among some lawmakers as a potential economic development tool for one of the state’s poorest regions, has effectively stalled following the governor’s opposition. McMaster rejected a compromise floated earlier this month, reiterating that he opposes casino gambling and intends to continue doing so, according to *The Post and Courier*. Without the governor’s backing, legislative support has weakened, leaving the measure with slim prospects of reaching the House floor during the current session.

Focus on the I-95 corridor

The legislation proposed allowing a single casino in Orangeburg County, a rural area in South Carolina’s interior that consistently ranks among the state’s most economically distressed regions. Supporters framed the project as a way to create jobs, increase local tax revenues, and spur redevelopment along the long-struggling I-95 corridor.

The proposed site is in Santee, near Lake Marion, on property owned by Wallace Cheves, a Republican donor and casino developer. The land currently contains a largely abandoned outlet mall, which backers say could be repurposed into a destination resort. Under the compromise proposal, a significant portion of casino revenues would have been directed toward conservation and environmental protection efforts statewide, an attempt to broaden the bill’s appeal and address concerns about social costs.

The casino bill was first introduced last year with bipartisan sponsorship and advanced out of committee despite objections from the Catawba Indian Nation, which operates a casino just across the state line in North Carolina. After that initial movement, the legislation sat dormant in the House.

Momentum briefly returned during the first week of this year’s legislative session, when House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, introduced the compromise version. However, support soon faltered after McMaster declined to endorse the plan. The bill was recommitted to the House Ways and Means Committee following the withdrawal of Rep. Gil Gatch, R-Summerville, a key supporter, on Jan. 22. Bannister said the move was intended to keep the proposal alive, but acknowledged that conditions are not favorable.

“There’s a pathway that it could be successful at the end of the day,” Bannister said. “We could get it back out of Ways and Means. But I don’t see that pathway right now based on the current circumstances.” Opponents of gambling, particularly religious and conservative advocacy groups, have mounted a coordinated effort to block the legislation. Those groups increased their presence at the Statehouse in recent weeks, urging Republican lawmakers to oppose the bill.

Some have taken credit for its stalled status. “Saying ‘no’ to casinos in South Carolina was one of our major legislative initiatives this year,” Steve Pettit, president of the Palmetto Family Alliance, said in a statement. “I’m thankful to the thousands of South Carolinians who contacted their representatives to urge a ‘no’ vote on casinos.” McMaster’s stance aligns with those groups, reinforcing a long-standing resistance to expanding legalized gambling in the state.

While the casino proposal has stalled, gambling remains an active and unresolved issue in South Carolina. Residents who want to gamble already do so through a range of alternatives, including illegal offshore websites and federally regulated prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket.

At the same time, lawmakers are considering separate Senate bills that would legalize interactive sports betting and wagering on horse racing. A previous horse racing bill came within two votes of reaching the governor’s desk, underscoring the narrow margins that often define gambling debates in the General Assembly. Randy Page, a spokesperson for the conservative Palmetto Family Council, has suggested that another casino proposal is likely to emerge in 2027, when the legislative calendar resets and a new governor takes office.

I don’t see that pathway right now based on the current circumstances.

Looking beyond McMaster’s term

McMaster’s term expires at the end of this year, and he is set to leave office. Supporters of the casino proposal say the issue is unlikely to disappear once his administration ends.

“No one has quit this,” Bannister said. “This is not going to go away because the bill is in Ways and Means. Where South Carolina is going to be on this issue is going to be an ongoing discussion for a long time.” For now, however, the casino bill remains stuck in committee, with little indication that it can overcome executive opposition before the session ends.