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As expected, the socially conservative Palmetto Family Council is opposing a pair of bills introduced in the South Carolina General Assembly which would end state government’s monopoly on gambling – the so-called “education” lottery – and usher in several private sector gaming options.
Last week, FITSNews reported on a proposed “transformative” casino development slated for Santee, S.C. This high-end, state-of-the-art development would bring in approximately 1,000 jobs to this impoverished, opportunity-starved region of the Palmetto State – creating an estimated $8 billion in economic impact within the first ten years of operation.
The best part? The casino development – which is being pushed by Greenville, S.C. businessman Wallace Cheves – is not seeking any state or local incentives.
“We strongly believe that this investment should be driven by private enterprise, not taxpayer dollars, ensuring no financial risk to the public sector,” Cheves said earlier this month.
Last Thursday (March 6, 2025), several influential GOP leaders signed on to a bill which could pave the way for Cheves’ project. The legislation – H. 4176 – is sponsored by, among others, state representatives Chris Murphy, Bill Herbkersman and Weston Newton, three ranking Republican lawmakers.
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Then, this Wednesday (March 12, 2025), another bill was introduced by influential S.C. senator Tom Davis which would legalize “sports wagering and ancillary activities” in a limited capacity under the auspices of a newly formed state commission.
While this media outlet has repeatedly editorialized in favor of precisely such projects – consistently calling on state leaders to surrender their state-sponsored gambling monopoly – those on the religious right want nothing to do with them (or the bills which would enable them).
“We know from God’s Word that virtue never rises from vice,” Palmetto Family president Steve Pettit said on Friday in an email to his supporters. “The addiction, corruption, crime, and human suffering that will accompany casinos far outweigh any alleged financial benefit.”
“Those of us who have lived in South Carolina know all too well the impact that gambling brings,” the former president of ultra-conservative Bob Jones University continued. “Whether it’s political corruption as illustrated by ‘Operation Lost Trust’ where 17 state legislators were arrested and charged with bribery, extortion or drug use or the scourge that video poker wrought on families throughout the state.”
“We must not allow South Carolina to become a gambling mecca,” Pettit added.
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RELATED | ‘TRANSFORMATIVE’ CASINO RESORT PROPOSED
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Pettit’s views were seconded by state representative John R. McCravy III of Greenwood, S.C. The chairman of the conservative S.C. Family Caucus, McCravy joined the Family Council leader in lamenting the expansive GOP support these bills appear to be attracting.
“I support our SCGOP platform that specifically opposes legalized gambling and ‘casinos’ on page eight,” he said. “I join with Palmetto Family in their disappointment that some Republicans have joined leading Democrats in an effort to bring casino gambling to South Carolina. The S.C. Family Caucus voted to oppose ‘parimutuel betting’ last year and I expect this new casino bill will be a topic of import as well.”
In years past, social conservatives have been able to block gambling proposals – but this year could be different given the tacit approval the casino bill appears to be receiving from leaders in the S.C. House of Representatives.
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience apprised of the latest developments regarding these different pieces of pro-gaming legislation as they make their way through the legislative process in Columbia, S.C.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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1 comment
I’m certainly not part of the religious right but I agree that nothing good can come from legalized gambling.