SC State Senators Want Your Input On Expanding Gambling

Columbia, SC—State senators are asking for your input on two bills that would expand gambling in South Carolina. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold public hearings March 23 at North Charleston City Hall and March 30 in Greenville County Council Chambers. Both hearings will start at 5:30 p.m.

One of the bills would allow charitable and non-profit groups to hold “casino night” fundraising events. Gambling on games like poker, blackjack and roulette would be allowed, but slot machines and electronic video games would not be legal. Betting on live sporting events or horse races would also still be illegal.

The bill would also allow gambling in private homes, so-called kitchen table poker games.

The second bill would change the state Constitution to allow non-profit groups to hold raffles.

Gregg Turner, executive director of South Carolina Lions clubs, says his group is taking no position on the gambling bill but is lobbying for passage of the bill to allow raffles. “Raffles have been, for years, a major source of revenue for our clubs,” he says, adding that Lions Clubs used to raise about $500,000 a year.

But the Lions, and other non-profits, stopped holding raffles after a crackdown by police a few years ago. Lions Clubs assist seniors and low-income families with eye exams, eye glasses and eye surgeries, along with hearing aids.

“This year alone, we have some 80-plus seniors who are still on a waiting list because of our inability to generate the revenue from some of the raffles that we’ve had to cease, due to law enforcement cracking down in those areas,“ Turner says.

But while a raffle by a local church or Lions Club may sound innocent enough, the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Palmetto Family Council are fighting both bills.

Joe Mack, public policy director for the SC Baptist Convention says the convention is against all forms of gambling. He’s most concerned about the bill that would allow casino nights and gambling in homes.

“I’m afraid that, just as we did in video poker, it kind of slipped through the backdoor without anybody knowing, and so we don’t know what might be the effect of this other bill that’s kind of a very broad gambling bill,“ he says.

He says he appreciates the good work that the Lions Clubs and other non-profit groups do, but suggests they look for other fundraising avenues than raffles.

Turner understands the concerns about gambling in general, but sees raffles as something different. “I don’t believe that raffles truly are addictive. People aren’t going to go out and decide to spend $500 on raffle tickets just because they think they can win a prize that’s less than the $500,” he says. “I think the addiction is the key in identifying what could be called gambling and what is not gambling.“ 

Lawmakers tried to pass a similar bill last year but were unsuccessful. Since allowing raffles would require a constitutional amendment, even if this bill passes it couldn’t go into effect until after the 2010 general election, if voters approved it.

Both bills are being sponsored by Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, President Pro Tempore of the Senate and one if its most powerful members. But being a constitutional amendment also limits its chances, since it requires a two-thirds vote by state lawmakers to even go to the voters.

State senators are having two public hearings on those bills, the next two Mondays. This monday, they’ll be at North Charleston City Hall at 5:30 p.m. On Monday, March 28th, they’ll hold a public hearing in the Greenville County Council Chambers.

They want your input.