Online Casinos in South Carolina & SC Gambling Laws 2024

South Carolina has pretty restrictive gambling laws at the moment. There are not many forms of legal gambling at the moment in the state. A lot of people rely on offshore online casinos to be able to play their favorite casino games on a regular basis.  There are many different options in this regard, with this guide walking you through everything you need to know when it comes to the best online casinos in South Carolina.

Top 3 Online Casinos in South Carolina, SC

Whether you are simply visiting South Carolina or you are a resident, there are different online casino options open to you to check out. A regulated online gambling expansion does not look like it will come for many years, so this will likely be your main option to play your favorite casino games from the comfort of your own home.

Each of the leading online casinos in the Palmetto state have been thoroughly reviewed by our team, looking at the most important areas of each of the offerings. Here are the best options in the space today:

  • Slot Title
  • Pay Back
  • Key Features
225% First Deposit Bonus

  • Payout rate: 98.56%
  • Payout Speed: 1-5 days
225% First Deposit BonusPlay NowOur score:
225% First Deposit Bonus
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Welcome Bonus Up to $5,000

  • Payout rate: 97.92%
  • Payout Speed: 1-2 days
Welcome Bonus Up to $5,000Play NowOur score:
Welcome Bonus Up to $5,000
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200% Welcome Bonus of Up to $2,000

  • Payout rate: 91%
  • Payout Speed: 1-2 days
200% Welcome Bonus of Up to $2,000Play NowOur score:
200% Welcome Bonus of Up to $2,000
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Are Online Casinos in South Carolina Legal? No!

South Carolina does not allow many forms of legal gambling options in the state, just like nearby North Carolina, Utah and Georgia. While there have been attempts for some lawmakers in recent years to push through some form of gambling act or expansion, each of these attempts have been failures. Casinos in South Carolina

You will find no forms of land-based casino gambling in the region, no matter if they are commercial or tribal casinos or even bingo halls. There are a couple of casino cruise ships that are based in South Carolina cities that sail out to international waters, allowing you to play some of the popular casino games. This includes in Little River and the Big M Casino in Myrtle Beach.

There are a lot of restrictions on charitable gambling such as charitable bingo, with social gambling in all cases being implicitly illegal, such as private poker games and bingo games.

The main form of legal gambling in South Carolina is the state lottery. The South Carolina Education Lottery launched back in 2002 and it has been a big revenue driver for the state, allowing for the funding of many public programs. You can’t get tickets for multi-state lottery jackpots like Mega Millions and Powerball. There is a limited form of horse racing wagering allowed through pari-mutuel betting, but sports betting in any shape or form are not allowed.

Is gambling legal in South Carolina online?

There is no explicit mention in South Carolina gambling laws that online gambling is illegal. There are some definitions of forms of illegal gambling in the state laws which may cover online gambling. It does not appear that anyone has ever been charged with a crime relating to the use of out-of-state online casinos or the likes. This means that a lot of residents partake in playing at online casinos, daily fantasy sports (DFS), sports betting and online poker.

Our Recommended Online Casino in South Carolina

Our Rating

  • Nice selection of game types
  • Fast withdrawals
  • First deposit bonus of 225%
  • 24/7 customer support
Logo of Red Dog Casino

Top 3 online casino sites in South Carolina

It does not look like you will get access to a regulated online casino sector in South Carolina for many years. As a result, you will need to use out-of-state platforms if you are looking to play your favorite casinos games and other forms of gambling.

After conducting extensive research, here is an outline for the leading online casinos in South Carolina today. They perform very well for both desktop and mobile users.

1. Red Dog Casino - Great mobile offering (225% deposit bonus)

Red Dog Casino is still a relatively new platform, having only launched in 2019. However, it hasn’t taken long for it to gain a lot of popularity in South Carolina. This is thanks to a nice range of different online casino games. The platform itself is licensed in Curacao and it is powered by both RealTime Gaming and Visionary Gaming.

About 200 video slot machines titles are on offer, with some good developers supplying titles. You have plenty of choice for table games to look at, with some interesting variants on offer for roulette, blackjack, Texas Hold’em poker and baccarat. In addition, there is a good live dealer casino and about a dozen video poker options.

Perhaps the main advantage of using Red Dog Casino is the mobile platform. This is seamless no matter what type of device you are using. Most games translate very well onto the mobile offering and you have access to all of the same features. You also have 24/7 customer support and pretty fast withdrawals. For new signups, there is a 225% first deposit which is more than ideal.

Our Rating

  • Nice selection of game types
  • Fast withdrawals
  • 24/7 customer support
  • First deposit bonus of 225%
  • Outdated browsers struggle

2. Slots.lv Casino - Large game library (Welcome bonus of $5,000)

Slots.lv Casino is one of the mainstays of the online casino space, first launching back in 2012. There is a game library that has over 400 titles to choose from. Many from leading developers such as NetEnt. As well as the online slots, you have tons of table games variants, as well as a nice range of video poker titles to check out. Perhaps the main highlight of the platform is the live dealer offering. You are thrown into a deeply immersive experience with this side of the offering. For new signups, you can get up to $5,000 in bonus funds if you max out the offer.

Our Rating

  • Large game library
  • Great platform design
  • Welcome package up to $5,000
  • Around the clock customer support
  • No dedicated app for mobile

3. BoVegas Casino - Good variety of games ($2,000 welcome offer)

BoVegas Casino has been catering to online casino players since 2016 and is a popular option for people in the state of South Carolina. It has a license from Curacao and there are three different languages on offer. The platform is powered by RealTime Gaming and you have hundreds of titles to have a look at. There is a focus on quality over quantity, with some of the best slots in the game being part of this site. Table games and video poker are also not forgotten about. Players will discover a good range of betting limits for the live dealer offering. The site design is a bit old, but the gameplay itself is top-notch which is why it just edged out Bovada in these rankings. For new players, you can get access to a welcome package of up to $2,000.

Our Rating

  • All major game types offered
  • Welcome offer up to $2,000
  • Seamless gameplay
  • Many popular titles
  • Old site design

How we rate the best South Carolina online casinos

When you are looking at reviews of online casinos in South Carolina, there are many aspects that need to be looked at. Certain areas will be more important than others, but all key areas are covered regardless.

After doing countless casino reviews in many different states, there are certain key areas that crop up again and again as being important to look at. You want to deal with a casino that ticks most, if not all of these boxes.

Our reviews are completely objective, comparing each online casino fairly with one another. Here are a lot of the key areas to have a look at when judging online casinos in South Carolina:

  • Range of game types
  • Depth of games per game type
  • Welcome package
  • Promotions for current players
  • Performance on mobile
  • Loyalty program
  • Ease of use
  • Support options
  • Payments options
  • Quality of gameplay
  • Security measures
  • Licensing

What to consider when choosing an online casino

As soon as you have a list together of the viable online casinos in South Carolina that you are thinking about using, you are then able to finalize your decision by applying a final set of necessary requirements.

This means figuring out what aspects of an online casino are most important to you and seeing what remaining online casino fits the bill the best in that regard. Here are some of the areas that might have a lot of importance for you:

Legal standing

You will not find online casinos in South Carolina that have been regulated in the state however, many sites will be regulated in other regions. You also want to make sure that the games are fair and payouts are always completed on time.

Customer support

If there is an issue when it comes to your online casino account, you want to have plenty of options to quickly and effectively get back to playing games. You should check response time and range of support options with a given online casino.

Promotions

A great part of starting off a new online casino account is being able to take advantage of a welcome bonus offer. You should also see what current player promotions look like, as well as the possible rewards program.

Payout rates

As well as playing your favorite games, an online casino also gives you the chance to win some money from online gaming. In order to maximize your return, you can check the payout rates at the different options.

Payment methods

It is important that an online casino has the types of payment methods that you want to use. This also includes checking the process times and any fees linked to making these payments.

Software providers

To quickly check out the quality of an online casino platform, a simple trick is to look at what software developers provide games to the offering.

The future of online gambling in South Carolina

South Carolina does not look like it will have any form of legal online gambling any time soon. While a couple of bills have attempts to change this lack of legality, they were met with resounding opposition. For now, it seems that residents will just have to rely on out-of-state options are outlined in this guide.

Where else is gambling legal in the US?

As time goes on, more and more US states are expanding into online gambling sites and sportsbooks since the Supreme Court vote to end the federal sports betitng ban. The decision really is a no-brainer when you see the revenues that this activity can generate, as well as the effect in fighting against the black market across the United States. New Jersey has seen massive success to date for example.

A lot of states start off with the likes of legal online sports betting before transitioning into the online casino space. Looking into the regulatory future, there looks to be steady embracing of online casinos no matter where in the country you are looking. This map will show you the current legal situation of online gambling in the respective states around the nation:

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC

Play the best casino games online

Everyone loves casino games. There is so much choice out there today that you will rarely get bored. There is always a new variant for you to play and to try and master. If you are looking to get some insights into strategies for the various game types, you can check out the guides below:

Bottom line on Online Casinos in South Carolina

South Carolina will not have a regulated online gambling sector any time soon. It is one of the most restrictive states around for gambling. However, you have tons of out-of-state online casinos in South Carolina to keep you busy. The registration process takes just a few minutes and you will get a juicy bonus to kick off your account in great style.

Casinos in South Carolina FAQs

What is the legal gambling age in South Carolina?

While there are no casinos found anywhere in South Carolina, there is a state lottery and limited forms of horse racing betting. In order to purchase a lottery ticket in the region, you will need to be at least 18 years old. This is the main form of gambling in the state currently.

Are there Indian casinos in South Carolina?

Currently, you will not find any tribal gaming facilities anywhere in South Carolina. This is the same if you are looking for commercial casinos. The only thing that resembles a casino in South Carolina are the cruise casinos that are often docked in some of the major cities in the state.

Are there casinos in South Carolina?

Currently, there are no traditional forms of casinos to be found anywhere in the state. While even those states that do not allow commercial casinos such as those in Las Vegas will often have tribal gaming facilities, this is not the case in South Carolina. For those people looking at gambling in Charleston, SC and the likes, the only option may be a cruise casino.

Is there mobile casinos allowed in South Carolina?

While there is no regulated form of mobile casinos in the state, a lot of the offshore online casinos in South Carolina will allow you to play on your mobile device. Most platforms will have gambling sites that can be accessed through your mobile’s web browser, with some having an app that you are able to download.

Can you play casino games for free in South Carolina?

With the out-of-state online casinos in South Carolina, most video slots and some other type of game will be available for you to play for free. This is a great way to practice a certain strategy or to learn the ropes of a given game or platform without having to put any real money on the line.

About Andrew O'Malley

Alex has been writing about the gambling industry for more than five years, covering everything from sports betting to casinos and poker. With the sector constantly evolving, he loves nothing better than staying up to date with the latest movers and shakers in the space.