STATE TRACKER · SC

Sweepstakes casinos in South Carolina

Current status

No tracked explicit prohibition

We have found no state law that explicitly prohibits sweepstakes casinos here. That is an absence of a tracked prohibition, not an affirmative authorization.

Last review: June 11, 2026
Authority: S.C. Code Ann. §§ 16-19-10

There is no tracked prohibition here to act on. An operator's own terms still decide whether it will register you, and some exclude states that have taken no action at all, so read the terms we link on each review page. See the operators we track

Sweeps Coins (SC) redemption: No tracked prohibition
Gold Coin (GC) free play: Yes
Minimum age: 18+
Age floor source: S.C. Code Ann. § 15-1-320 (references to minors mean persons under age 18)

PRIMARY-SOURCE NOTE

South Carolina's Supreme Court applied its device ban to a sweepstakes game piece

What the law does

Section 16-19-10 makes it a misdemeanor to set up a lottery, or publish a scheme for one, that hands out money, goods or "other things whatsoever" by way of chances; each violation is a separate offense, and a third of the fine goes to whoever reported it¹. Section 16-19-20 reaches the paying side: anyone who puts money or other consideration into a lottery forfeits one hundred dollars per offense¹. Section 16-19-40 is built around places, listing taverns, liquor stores, barns, stables and open woods where card, dice and table games are barred¹. Section 12-21-2710 bars keeping or operating, on premises or within the state, slot machines, coin-fed video game machines and any "other device pertaining to games of chance of whatever name or kind"; a violation carries a fine of up to five hundred dollars, up to a year of imprisonment, or both². None of these sections uses the word sweepstakes or mentions the internet¹².

What has happened since

In 2004 the state Supreme Court affirmed that prepaid phone cards carrying a sweepstakes game piece, and their dispensers, were illegal gambling devices under section 12-21-2710⁶. A free game piece was available by mail, and the court still held each card was a pull-tab, a device pertaining to games of chance⁶. On May 7, 2025 the House passed H. 4129 on second reading by a roll call of 99 to 9, and on May 8 the Senate referred it to its Judiciary Committee³. S. 362, a Senate bill with the same skill-game section, has sat in that committee since February 19, 2025⁴. A search of the session's bills for sweepstakes, run on September 28, 2026, returned one match, a House measure honoring a school marching band⁵. Of the 3 brands we record as not taking South Carolina players, NightWager and Yayz Casino name the state in their own terms, and the row for Sweeper comes from a bulk backfill.

What is still open

The 2004 ruling concerned paper game pieces sold from a slot machine cabinet in stores, and section 16-19-40 names physical places¹⁶. Whether the phrase "other device pertaining to games of chance" reaches a slot-style browser game, where Gold Coins are sold and Sweeps Coins redeemable for cash come with them, is a question no court ruling or agency action in our record answers. Section 16-19-10 turns on things handed out by way of chances, leaving open whether a Sweeps Coin later redeemed for cash counts as one¹. H. 4129, as the House amended it, calls a game decided by randomness, such as the "turn of a card" or "roll of the dice," gambling, and whether that would change how the chapter reads for sweepstakes play is also open³.

Enforcement search: The closest state action we found is older: after the State seized phone card dispensers running a sweepstakes promotion, the state Supreme Court held in 2004 that the cards and dispensers were illegal gambling devices⁶. Since then our tracked South Carolina history adds no enforcement action against an online site and no brand exit.
Question still open: Whether section 12-21-2710's ban on any other device pertaining to games of chance, applied in 2004 to a sweepstakes phone card, reaches a browser game whose Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for cash is unresolved in our record⁶.

Sources for this note

South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 16, Chapter 19, Gambling and Lotteries (South Carolina Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 12, Chapter 21, sections 12-21-2710 to 12-21-2720 (South Carolina Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
H. 4129 (2025-2026), Gambling, exceptions: status, history and amended text (South Carolina Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
S. 362 (2025-2026), Gambling: status, history and text (South Carolina Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
South Carolina Legislature, 2025-2026 session legislation search for the word sweepstakes accessed Sep 28, 2026
Sun Light Prepaid Phonecard Co. v. State, Opinion No. 25840, filed July 6, 2004 (Supreme Court of South Carolina) accessed Sep 28, 2026

Sources rechecked 2026-09-28. Next scheduled review 2026-12-28.

What the law says

Setting up a lottery: fine of one thousand dollars and imprisonment for one year (§ 16-19-10). Unlawful games/betting: players face up to 30 days or a fine up to $100; operators face up to twelve months imprisonment and forfeiture up to two thousand dollars (§ 16-19-40).

Operators and South Carolina

118 of the 121 operators we track are recorded as accepting South Carolina players, and 13 of those are rated trusted.

3 of the 121 operators we track are recorded as not accepting South Carolina players, and 2 of those records cite the operator's own terms.

Highest Trust Scores among the operators recorded as accepting South Carolina:

See the full list on the leaderboard filtered to South Carolina →

How this classification was reached

Show the record, the citation and the method

What the South Carolina classification rests on

Source date: Not recorded
Last human review: June 11, 2026
Effective date: Not recorded
Basis of classification: statutory

How to read these rows

Where the operator counts come from

Of the 118 acceptance records, 36 cite the operator's own terms or rules, 10 come from a backfill of the operator's terms, 1 comes from the operator's site configuration, 13 are inferred because the terms do not list South Carolina, 55 come from our bulk backfill without a terms citation and 3 reflect site availability with no observed Sweeps Coins program. Of the 3 exclusion records, 2 cite the operator's own terms or rules and 1 comes from our bulk backfill without a terms citation.

Citation as stored

S.C. Code Ann. §§ 16-19-10 (setting up lotteries), 16-19-40 (unlawful games and betting).

Primary sources on file

South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 16, Chapter 19: Gambling and Lotteries South Carolina Legislature (scstatehouse.gov) · accessed Jun 10, 2026

Method

Methodology · Corrections · Changelog · How to read a state page

South Carolina questions

Are sweepstakes casinos legal in South Carolina?

We have found no state law that explicitly prohibits sweepstakes casinos here. That is an absence of a tracked prohibition, not an affirmative authorization. Authority: S.C. Code Ann. §§ 16-19-10.

Would South Carolina's H. 4129 change how chance-based sweepstakes games are treated?

H. 4129 would declare paid games in which skill predominates over chance not to be gambling. As the House amended it, the bill also says a game whose outcome is set by randomness, such as the turn of a card or the roll of the dice, is gambling. The House sent it to the Senate on May 8, 2025, and it was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee that day.

Which operators accept South Carolina players?

118 of the 121 operators we track are recorded as accepting South Carolina players, and 13 of those are rated trusted. 3 of the 121 operators we track are recorded as not accepting South Carolina players, and 2 of those records cite the operator's own terms. The leaderboard filtered to South Carolina lists every one. Leaderboard filtered to South Carolina →

This page is information, not legal advice. Laws and thresholds change quickly, so confirm with the operator and your state attorney general before depositing, or consult a lawyer. Last verified June 11, 2026. Send a correction.