Election Results In New Interest In Gambling
Added: Feb. 13, 2017
Get this, in a state that is not exactly the hotbed of gambling or casino action by any stretch of the imagination, there looks to be a new attitude towards gambling. That state is none other than South Carolina. As of this writing, the only gambling action to speak of in the entire state are two boats that are based in the world famous Myrtle Beach area. For the record, take note of the fact that these two gambling boats which do in fact offer a full bevy of Las Vegas style casino games, must first traverse a three mile journey to anchor in International Waters.
As you might well imagine, while that sort of thing may have been acceptable some years ago, the reality is that the casino or gambling fan of today most likely does not want to have to bother to embark on an entire day journey just for some casino action. Naturally, there has been a push as of late to update the South Carolina laws on the books to better reflect the reality of gambling in the modern era.
That’s where the most recent election comes into play. Love him, hate him, or just wait and see the fact of the matter is the newly elected President Trump is widely expect to disrupt quite a number of long held practices throughout the country. More to the point, since in fact President Trump already knows quite about gambling and casino action in its many forms, quite a number of proponents of online casino action are expecting increased legalization of gambling and online gambling in its numerous forms.
Which takes us back to South Carolina. There, a forward thinking Representative, Todd Rutherford (D Columbia) has already filed a bill that would put casino authorization on the 2018 ballot. According to the terms of this ballot measure, voters will be asked if the South Carolina constitution should be amended to allow for Las Vegas style gambling.
To better understand why a Constitutional Amendment is necessary in South Carolina you need to take note of the fact that there is a law on the books dating from the year 1802 that clearly makes playing poker for money illegal. Even one of the South Carolina Supreme Court justices was quoted as saying that the 1802 law on the books is “hopelessly outdated”.
Although it is true that at first glance it may appear that South Carolina is moving at what looks to be a snail’s pace compared to other states such as New Jersey with respect to embracing online casino action, don’t overlook the fact that this is still a step forward.
Bottom line: expect to see more such stories in the year ahead.