New Proposal Seeks to Legalize Casinos in South Carolina

Newly proposed legislation seeks to revitalize one out of three counties across South Carolina by bringing casino gambling. As with any legislation, its success depends on the support of lawmakers but if the new proposal gets a green light, it may bring a game-changer $1 billion casino project to Orangeburg county.

Another Push for Casino Gambling Legalization

That’s the case under the recently filed House Bill 4176 (HB 4176), titled The “I-95 Economic And Education Stimulus Act.” Introduced earlier this month and enjoying bipartisan support, the proposal calls for the development of one casino in one out of three South Carolina counties. Under HB 4176, Orangeburg, Marlboro or Dillion counties would have the option to develop a casino resort.

Ultimately, the proposal seeks to revitalize one of the counties, creating thousands of temporary and permanent workplaces. In turn, the state and the counties are expected to benefit from tax revenue and license fees. What’s more, the casino is expected to bring significant economic stimulus to those regions, boosting visitation and local businesses.

The latest proposal is similar to another bill, House Bill 3353 (HB 3353), which was introduced late last year. Under HB 3353, a new Santee casino would be developed by Santee Development Corporation. The casino resort would represent an investment of $1 billion.

The Bill, “A Game-Changer,” Says Primary Sponsor

A spokesperson for Santee Development Corporation, quoted by WIS 10, spoke about the significant benefits the casino resort would bring. The company’s representative suggested that the Santee casino would generate $75 million in tax revenue annually, while at the same time creating close to 5,000 new jobs. Annually, the casino resort is expected to welcome more than four million visitors.

Rep. Christopher Murphy, a Republican, is the primary sponsor of the newly introduced HB 4176. He was also optimistic about the proposal and explained that the legislation is expected to create many new economic opportunities.

“It could really, really be a game-changer. You would draw a lot of people that right now, that don’t have economic opportunities, don’t have job opportunities in their own counties, but it would be a central point for them.“

Rep. Christopher Murphy

Moreover, he said lawmakers are confident the proposal would be game changer. Finally, Murphy predicted that Orangeburg County would benefit from the project considering it currently doesn’t have such economic opportunities.

After its introduction earlier this month, HB 4176 was referred to the House’s Committee on Ways and Means. More than a dozen Republican and Democrat lawmakers are sponsoring the proposal that may pave the way for the first casino in South Carolina.