South Carolina has long been known as one of the stricter states when it comes to online gambling, and I am planning to explore a particular part of this industry - South Carolina sports betting.
There is a lot to cover for bettors which are interested in South Carolina sports betting, especially the legality and if there are any alternative options available. In this guide, I look at current SC gambling laws, see if sports betting is legal, and if not, what alternatives you have as a South Carolina resident, such as social sportsbooks.
No is the short answer. Sports betting in South Carolina is illegal. This includes both retail and online sports betting. Horse race betting is also illegal, and Daily Fantasy Sports has no legislation, so technically it’s not illegal, but it’s not legal either - it’s a legal grey area.
| Online sports betting | Illegal |
| Retail sports betting | Illegal |
| Number of online sportsbooks | 0 |
| Legal gambling age | 18 |
| Last updated | January 2025 |
Sports betting legislation is the responsibility of the state in South Carolina, and there have been numerous attempts to pass bills to make sports betting legal. These have all failed to pass votes though, or have stalled at various stages in the South Carolina Senate. The following are bills that are either active or have failed:
Instead of the best online sportsbooks, you can legally access social sportsbooks in South Carolina. These allow you to make social picks for free using virtual currencies which are usually called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, while bettors have the option to redeem their Sweeps Coins for real prizes, although the availability of prize redemption can vary depending on your region. I’ve selected 5 top SC social sportsbooks you can try below.
SportsMillions has two games - Pick’em and Blitz’em which are a mix between social sports picks and daily fantasy sports. It also has a sweepstakes casino - details can be found in our SportsMillions review. I like the range of promos here and new customers get 1,000 Gold Coins and 3 Sweeps Coins, plus there is a fantastic daily login bonus of 6,000 Gold Coins and 0.25 Sweeps Coins.
Legendz also has a social casino which you can learn more about in our Legendz review. The social sportsbook excels at US pro leagues, especially the MLB and NFL. I like the range of social picks too, as you can place anything from moneylines and spreads to social parlays. The welcome bonus gives you 500 Gold Coins and 3 Sweeps Coins to start with.
Out of all the social sportsbooks, Sportzino has the best welcome bonus as you get 170,000 Gold Coins and 7 Sweeps Coins simply for registering an account. This site and app has one of the largest ranges of social sports markets too - it covers all main US pro leagues, plus popular global sports, but also plenty of lesser-known sports like volleyball, handball, and table tennis. We’ve got full info on the available social picks in our Sportzino review.
As a new Thrillzz customer you can get 3,000 Thrillzz Coins and 3 Thrillzz Sweeps for your no deposit bonus. We’ve got other promo info in our Thrillzz review too. For sports, this social sports betting South Carolina app has better support for global sports like tennis, golf, soccer, MMA, and Boxing. You can also make an epic range of social picks on the NBA and NFL including teams like the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks.
Social SCs sports betting is spearheaded by Fliff and we have a complete Fliff review with more info. If you use the PROMOGUYSOCIAL code during registration, you’ll get 1,000 Fliff Coins and 1 Fliff Cash as a welcome bonus. Fliff primarily deals with US pro leagues like the NBA and NFL, but it also has some coverage for sports like tennis and soccer. I like the XP system as XP can be turned into extra Fliff Cash which can then be redeemed for cash prizes.
The direct answer to this is a clear “No”, since you cannot use real money to place any bets at social sportsbooks. However, social betting sites in SC use virtual currencies for social picks, which are Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, while Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for real prizes which also includes cash prizes, provided you meet the minimum requirements. Here is a quick overview of how these social sportsbooks work:
You don’t bet on sports with your own cash at social sportsbooks, but instead will be ‘betting’ with virtual currencies that are usually called Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins.
You don’t directly win money at social sportsbooks. Instead, you can play through your Sweepstakes Coins the required number of times and then potentially redeem real-world prizes.
Social sportsbooks have to let you enter their sweepstakes with no purchase required. This means that you should always be able to get free Sweepstakes Coins via a range of special offers for new and existing customers.
You cannot make deposits at social sportsbooks like you can at their real money counterparts. The closest that you can get to this is to purchase one of the Gold Coins packages so that you can play for fun.
The fact that social sportsbooks have no real money gambling means that they can operate in more states such as South Carolina. Plus you usually have to be just 18 years old to use social betting sites compared to 21 years for their real money counterparts.
Social South Carolina betting apps make for an exciting mobile experience and most of the sites I’ve recommended have a downloadable app. This allows you more freedom with your social picks and I usually like to have the app open while I’m watching a live game to make some in-play picks with. The following are my top recommended 4 apps:
| Social Sportsbook App | App Store Rating | Play Store Rating | Notable Feature |
| SportsMillions | 4.6 | N/A (APK download) | Unique social sports game modes |
| Fliff | 4.8 | 4.7 | XP and level-up system |
| Sportzino | N/A | 4.2 | In-app live streaming |
| Thrillzz | 4.4 | 3.9 | Great referral scheme |
Is sports betting legal in SC? Currently not, but there is a world where it could be. HB 3749 has currently stalled, so there is still a chance that this could pass through the committee stage and get voted into legislation.
South Carolina is relatively strict when it comes to legal gambling. Currently, only the following types of gambling/gaming activities are legal in the state:
The minimum legal gambling age in South Carolina is 21. You will be expected to prove this by submitting some form of government issued photo ID such as a passport or driver's license, as well as further proof of residence.
Prizes from social sportsbooks in SC are taxable both on a federal and state level. But gambling winnings from the state lottery is if the amount is greater than $5000.
This depends on the social sportsbook or DFS site you use. Typically, social sportsbooks in SC have superb support for major US leagues including the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, MLS, and WNBA. You will also usually find solid support for popular sports like European soccer (Premier League etc.), tennis, golf, motorsport, MMA, boxing, and volleyball.
In terms of local sport support, only a few social sportsbooks support college games, but all have options for neighboring teams from other states like the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Braves, and Atlanta Hornets.
There are plenty of betting bonuses at SC social sportsbooks where you get free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins and I’ve found that the most common ones include:
This is the welcome bonus that you get as a new customer. It typically includes a lump sum of GC and SC.
There is usually a daily login bonus you get every 24 hours that gives you a top-up or reload of GC and SC (or equivalent currency).
The mail-in bonus is unique to sweepstakes casinos - you send off a postal request using a specific set of instructions and message and then you will get free Sweeps Coins in return.
Oftentimes you can give your friends a unique referral code or link. If they use that to register an account and make Gold Coin purchases, you will get GC and SC bonuses as a result.
SC social sportsbooks have GC packages you can purchase, and you can make cash prize redemptions. I’ve found the following payment methods used for these processes:
| Payment Method | GC Purchase Time | SC Redemption Time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Pay | Instant | 3-10 business days | N/A |
| Google Pay | Instant | 3-10 business days | N/A |
| Visa | Instant | N/A | N/A |
| MasterCard | Instant | N/A | N/A |
| Online Bank Transfer | N/A | 3-15 business days | N/A |
We don’t just pick random social sportsbooks for you - instead, we have a set criteria that we look at which includes:
We always promote responsible gambling whether it’s real money or virtual currencies at social sportsbooks. You should always take measures to protect yourself including setting play limits and playing time, and taking regular breaks. There is also the following self-help resources for South Carolina residents:
South Carolina sports betting certainly has more hope than some other states with the stalled HB 3749 that is still active. If this passes, sports betting would be legalized. However, for now, sports betting is illegal in the state, so your best alternative is to take a look at social sportsbooks like Fliff, Sportzino, and SportsMillions.
HB 3749 has stalled before the committee stage - if this passes, South Carolina sports betting could be legal within one or two years, but there is no guarantee for that.
Currently no. Sports betting in SC is illegal. You can legally use social sportsbooks like Fliff and Legendz though.
No. It is illegal. The only alternative are social sportsbooks where you can make social picks on sports events for free, while still having the option to make Gold Coin bundle purchases if you like. But that is not necessary to place bets at social sportsbooks.
Social sportsbooks and daily fantasy sports contests serve as alternatives to online sports betting in South Carolina.
+100
1.0
-110
-115
-200
-3.5
-105
-112
-152
-3.0
-102
-112
-592
-10.5
-104
-108
+106
1.5
-110
-110
+154
3.5
-115
-108
-150
-3.0
-102
-105
+950
14.0
-105
-110
+320
7.5
-105
-115
+164
3.5
-110
-110
-218
-4.5
-105
-118
-450
-8.5
-108
-108
-350
-7.5
+100
-112
-1000
-13.5
-105
-115
+102
1.5
-110
-105
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Daily picks from betting experts on odds boosts and casino promos
