Gambling in South Carolina

mszelis

mszelis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was just browsing the internet the other day and found out that it is illegal to gamble in South Carolina. Under Title 16, Chapter 9, it states the person is "guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined one thousand dollars and imprisoned for one year".

http://www.scstatehouse.net/code/t16c019.htm

Now maybe its just me, but that seems a little harsh. I read a story a while back on CCB where a weekly bar tournament got raided by police and people were fined up to $1000.

http://www.billiardsdigest.com/ccbo...d=allposts&Main=134848&Search=true#Post134848

Is this just one of those laws that was set in place a long time ago and no one enforces anymore? And has anyone had any problems with gambling in South Carolina (either in a tournament or playing for money) ? I know South Carolina is known for being a conservative state, but this just seems a little overboard.
 
Well, OJ doesn't post here and I don't think anyone else wants to publicly admit to committing a crime! :D
 
Also in Kansas

mszelis said:
I was just browsing the internet the other day and found out that it is illegal to gamble in South Carolina. Under Title 16, Chapter 9, it states the person is "guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined one thousand dollars and imprisoned for one year".

http://www.scstatehouse.net/code/t16c019.htm

Now maybe its just me, but that seems a little harsh. I read a story a while back on CCB where a weekly bar tournament got raided by police and people were fined up to $1000.

http://www.billiardsdigest.com/ccbo...d=allposts&Main=134848&Search=true#Post134848

Is this just one of those laws that was set in place a long time ago and no one enforces anymore? And has anyone had any problems with gambling in South Carolina (either in a tournament or playing for money) ? I know South Carolina is known for being a conservative state, but this just seems a little overboard.
Click to expand...

It is illegal in Kansas too, but (my brother is a 39 year practicing attorney, and I had him check directly with the DA on this), a money match between 2 players is NOT gambling, because it can be viewed as 2 person tournament with prize money for 1st place only (no, I am not kidding).
Where it becomes illegal is IF a 3rd party (nonparticipant railbird or backer) bets on the match.

Yes, Calcuttas are illegal within that framework, but we have them here all the time. The cops normally have better things to do, than to bust a
Calcutta (unless a big cop has a hardon for the owner or TD somewhere or a band of churches comes into it).
 
Gambling with each other is not illegal, however gambling on "chance" where you personally have no skill involved is illegal. This has been discussed somewhere around eleventybillion times.... do a search.
 
I was born and raised in Cola SC, and have been arrested for playing pool on Sunday ( blue law). Yes the judge threw it out and blasted police for wasting man power and court cost!
 
I plead the fifth.
That is a little too harsh. Just livin' on the edge...whole new meaning for some.
"EleventyBillion", I just expanded my vocabularies.....
 
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I play in SC...

I don't know the "law" as it would be applied, but guys where I play gamble.

The owner does not say anything, but the top “league guy” will say something. He is respected, so no big deal… plus, he is 60+ and most people who I’ve seen him say something to are far younger.

Then again, the league guy could be in partnership with the owner. I don’t know. I keep my nose out of that business.

I’ve always assumed it was illegal, but was that law (quoted above) wrapped in the video poker debacle?

One thing to mention is that the second link was from 2004... laws change. The first link says (which seems to bring exception to billiards -- but I'm no lawyer):

SECTION 16-19-40. Unlawful games and betting.

If any person shall play at any tavern, inn, store for the retailing of spirituous liquors or in any house used as a place of gaming, barn, kitchen, stable or other outhouse, street, highway, open wood, race field or open place at (a) any game with cards or dice, (b) any gaming table, commonly called A, B, C, or E, O, or any gaming table known or distinguished by any other letters or by any figures, (c) any roley-poley table, (d) rouge et noir, (e) any faro bank (f) any other table or bank of the same or the like kind under any denomination whatsoever or (g) any machine or device licensed pursuant to Section 12-21-2720 and used for gambling purposes, except the games of billiards, bowls, backgammon, chess, draughts, or whist when there is no betting on any such game of billiards, bowls, backgammon, chess, draughts, or whist or shall bet on the sides or hands of such as do game, upon being convicted thereof, before any magistrate, shall be imprisoned for a period of not over thirty days or fined not over one hundred dollars, and every person so keeping such tavern, inn, retail store, public place, or house used as a place for gaming or such other house shall, upon being convicted thereof, upon indictment, be imprisoned for a period not exceeding twelve months and forfeit a sum not exceeding two thousand dollars, for each and every offense.
 
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