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South Carolina governor candidates are not lining up behind one position on gambling. In a recent Republican debate, two candidates rejected casinos outright, while two others left open a path for limited expansion or a public vote.
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Nancy Mace took the broadest position of the group. She said gambling is already part of the picture through prediction markets and argued that voters may deserve the final say. “It’s already here,” she said. “I would want to review any legislation (and) regulations. I’d want to know what the Legislature says. We are a republic, and they’re representatives of their constituencies. I’d be open to doing a referendum – what do the people of South Carolina want?
“If it is a 50-50 issue, what would the majority of people … want, whether online or brick-and-mortar, and here are those options versus being one person, one say. I’d want everyone to have a say because it is a controversial issue in some communities where they would never want it.”
Josh Kimbrell also left some room, but only for land-based gambling in targeted parts of the state. He rejected wider online expansion and pointed instead to limited development in struggling counties. “I don’t believe South Carolina should be Atlantic City, and I’ve actually not voted in favor of expanding where everybody can gamble online,” he said. “But you also have to understand that there’s going to be limited opportunities in certain economically disadvantaged areas that might benefit from a resort like Bristol, VA, has.”
That comment tied back to the bipartisan I-95 Economic and Education Stimulus Act from 2025. The proposal would have created a state gaming commission and allowed casino licences in some poorer counties. Lawmakers introduced it in January, but the bill now looks finished for the session.
Ralph Norman went the other way and framed casino gambling as a direct threat. He also suggested gaming money may be flowing to rivals in the race. “I will oppose the casinos and you need to find out who’s giving money to the different candidates on this stage who are taking money from the gambling industry,” he said. “I will not do that. It’s a vice, that when you get casino gambling that wants to come in here … you get child trafficking, you get sex trafficking, you get all types of abuse. I will be opposed to that and I will fight it.”
Alan Wilson backed a similar line, but leaned on what he said he had heard from law enforcement and faith groups across the state. “When it comes to brick-and-mortar casinos, I’ve traveled this state,” he said. “I’ve talked extensively with law enforcement leaders, I’ve talked extensively with the faith community. They have grave concerns about brick-and-mortar casinos coming here because we have seen in other states that it brings criminal elements.”
“I think it would be detrimental to our state as a whole to have brick-and-mortar casinos here.”
Pamela Evette is also running for the Republican nomination, though she did not appear in the debate. Polling has shown a close race, with some surveys putting Evette slightly ahead and others showing Mace either ahead or level with Norman near the top.
South Carolina Democrats also have three candidates in their primary. Still, that side of the race has drawn less weight after decades without a Democratic governor. Primary elections for both parties are set for June 9.