Santee Casino $1BN Proposal Gains Attention in South Carolina

A bill proposing the expansion of gambling activities in South Carolina may help bring a new casino to Santee. Late last year, the proposal, House Bill 3353 (HB 3353), was prefiled with the House’s Judiciary Committee.

If greenlighted, the proposal would then seek approval from South Carolina residents. In case this happens, an ambitious plan involving a mind-blowing investment of $1 billion in Santee may bring the new resort and casino.

Former Santee Outlet Mall to Turn Into Casino Under New Proposal

That’s the case for a development pitched by the Santee Development Corporation, a company representative, Wallace Cheves, reveals. Ultimately, the billion-dollar project is expected to “revitalize and transform an economically challenged region” of the state with the delivery of a world-class resort and casino, The Times and Democrat reports.

The aforementioned project was discussed during a recent Vance Town Council meeting. At the time, Councilmember Carolyn Bush revealed that per the proposal, the new casino resort would welcome its first visitors either in 2026 or 2027. The site, proposed for the billion-dollar casino resort, is the former Santee Outlet Mall.

Last week, Vance’s Mayor, Michael Aiken, revealed that he didn’t know much about the project. The Mayor explained that he anticipates meeting Cheves soon and said that they have seen each other once before together with Bush when Cheves was exploring the area. “I want to get clarity. I need to get more from him,” Vance’s Mayor said.

The Proposed Casino Project Requires Changes to the State’s Laws

According to Cheves, besides the cost for the construction, estimated at $1 billion, the project would bring significant economic benefits. He spoke about South Carolina Education Lottery’s proceeds which have generated $8 billion for education across the state since 2002, recognizing this as an “example of how regulated gaming can provide a lasting, positive impact on our state’s future.”

“We strongly believe that this investment should be driven by private enterprise, not taxpayer dollars, ensuring no financial risk to the public sector,“

Wallace Cheves, representative of the Santee Development Corporation

Notably, Cheves pointed out estimates that the project could have an $8 billion impact on the state’s economy in the first 10 years of operation. The executive added that the proposed Santee casino resort would create thousands of new jobs with good pay, boost tourism and create new opportunities in the area.

Cheves added that investment of such scale shouldn’t be a burden to taxpayers, which is why the company is proposing to develop the casino resort without any risk for the public sector. Still, he explained that the project is contingent on required legislation which needs to be passed by the South Carolina General Assembly. Finally, Cheves pointed to the importance of local support for the project.