Is Online Poker Legal in South Carolina?

South Carolina, in my opinion is one of the most beautiful states in the country, both in terms of the architecture and the natural beauty of the state. Head into one of the cities or towns and a plethora of gorgeous buildings will greet you, head outside and there is an epic landscape just begging to be explored. It is one of the most populated states in the country, but it is also one of the smallest. Let’s take a little look at the gambling laws in South Carolina.

Gambling Laws

If you thought some of the other states in the United States are strict, then you certainly are not prepared for the laws in South Carolina. They are incredibly strict, and they have also been in force since 1802.

If any person shall play at any tavern, inn, store for the retailing of spirituous liquors or in any house used as a place of gaming, barn, kitchen, stable or other outhouse, street, highway, open wood, race field or open place at (a) any game with cards or dice, (b) any gaming table, commonly called A, B, C, or E, O, or any gaming table known or distinguished by any other letters or by any figures, (c) any roley-poley table, (d) rouge et noir, (e) any faro bank (f) any other table or bank of the same or the like kind under any denomination whatsoever or (g) any machine or device licensed pursuant to Section 12-21-2720 and used for gambling purposes, except the games of billiards, bowls, backgammon, chess, draughts, or whist when there is no betting on any such game of billiards, bowls, backgammon, chess, draughts, or whist or shall bet on the sides or hands of such as do game, upon being convicted thereof, before any magistrate, shall be imprisoned for a period of not over thirty days or fined not over one hundred dollars [1]

Yes, this means something can be defined as gambling, even if no money is changing hands. Crazy right? The punishments of these laws are pretty much the same as they were over two hundred years ago. It is worth noting that it is impossible to know how stringently these laws are enforced as arrest statistics for the state are not released to the public.

Casinos and Live Poker

There are no places to gamble in South Carolina, however, there are a number of cruises which leave from the state to give people the chance to gamble in ‘international waters’. There are no tribal casinos in the state. There is no charitable poker games.

Social poker is illegal, although the authorities have come out and said that this is not something that they will be targeting in the future. However, there have been a number of high profile raids of social games, which means that nobody is exempt from the legislation. There is currently a case going through the court which aims to look at whether poker is legal or not.

Online Poker

The internet was of course not invented two hundred years ago, which means that the internet is not addressed. It is safe to assume that it is illegal though, but it is unlikely mere players would be targeted. Although I wouldn’t rule anything out in this regard!

It is unlikely that online gambling will ever be made legal in the state, in votes so far, it has been an overwhelming no to expand normal gambling, so I doubt that anything is going to change, even in the distant future.

South Carolina Bitcoin Poker Sites