South Carolina is a US state famous for many things. The rich natural landscape was blessed with mountainous terrain, the Wright Brothers’ first successful flight, and playing home to the first ever Krispy Kreme outlet, the birthplace of iconic world champion wrestler, the Big Show. There’s a lot in South Carolina. But can you play on the best online poker sites for players living in the US here?
The Legality of Poker and Online Poker in South Carolina
South Carolina might be one of the strictest states in terms of gambling legislation in the entirety of the United States. It has very archaic laws which seem outdated at best. They were written a long time ago before the advent of the internet. The laws forbid casinos from operating in the state borders, meaning there are no casinos in the state. There is of course the Big M Casino… which is a boat. It departs from a dock in South Carolina and after three miles it leaves the geographical jurisdiction of South Carolina and opens up its onboard casino hall.
Now given the laws were established a very long time ago, they don’t explicitly reference online poker or online gambling. While open to interpretation, everyone seems to understand that online poker is forbidden in South Carolina. No American sites operate here or stem from the state for fear of a legal battle, which they’ll most likely lose.
Is there any option to play online poker or poker in South Carolina?
Ok. You’re a big poker fan in South Carolina but you can’t always leave the state to play the game. After all, extensive and frequent travel will get expensive and tiring. There is a way in which you can play online poker while still in South Carolina. Offshore sites.
Offshore online poker sites and offshore online casinos are offshore by all accounts. They are set up from far away destinations (usually in the Caribbean or non-EU countries) that have a lot less restrictive laws on gambling and subsequently online poker. These sites operate outside the US jurisdiction but have made the site available to access from almost anywhere in the world as they welcome US players, realizing the gap in the market for American gamblers who don’t appreciate the local ruling. If you can’t access the site initially, that’s nothing that a good-quality VPN won’t sort out.
If you want to play poker in person, then there is one completely legal option. Playing poker with friends on private property where no money changes hands (or financially benefits from the outcome of the game) is completely fine. Betting for matchsticks or potato chips might not be the most exciting endgame but it’s one way to enjoy poker in South Carolina without fear of legal entanglements.
Will I get into trouble for using offshore sites in South Carolina?
In theory, you could, as the law says you’re breaking the rules by gambling but historically the local authorities have done very little to enforce it. After all, the local police force has much bigger and more pertinent issues like catching killers and other serious criminals than arresting the local peaceful man who played a few hands of online poker. The most likely course of action is that they will try to stop sites from being accessed in South Carolina but as mentioned before, this can usually be circumvented with a VPN or other internet routing means. Of course, you should still be wary, because one day the authorities might have a total crackdown on online poker users and could change its stance to punish players directly.
What does the future hold for online poker in South Carolina?
South Carolina might have some of the strictest laws considering gambling in the US but there are wheels of motion, at least. Legislation has been proposed to open sports betting, which could be a gateway for other forms of gambling to be legalized. This came about as the state government observed that around $2.3 billion worth of ‘illegal bets’ have taken place in South Carolina. At the very least, the state has missed out on around $22 million in tax income. With dollar signs in their eyes, suddenly the local authority wants a slice of the action.
Sports betting was legalized in North Carolina earlier in 2023 (set for introduction in January 2024), which in theory should spur the process along in South Carolina too. The process may still however be slow as there’s still a fair bit of opposition in the internal government.