Prediction Markets in South Carolina

South Carolina's Sports Betting Vacuum

South Carolina's gambling regime is restrictive. The state operates the South Carolina Education Lottery (instant tickets and traditional draws — no sports product), allows charitable bingo, and permits limited pari-mutuel wagering on simulcast horse racing. There are no commercial casinos in SC, no tribal casinos with single-game sports wagering compacts, and no commercial sportsbooks.

Multiple sports betting bills have been introduced in recent SC General Assembly sessions, including H 3625 in 2025, which would have legalized mobile sports betting under SC Lottery oversight with up to 8 mobile operator licenses. The bill stalled in committee.

This vacuum makes SC similar to neighboring Georgia (no legal sports betting) and Alabama (no legal sports betting).

What South Carolina Residents Can Trade in 2026

Full federal prediction market catalog is accessible to SC residents 18+:

• NFL contracts — no NFL team in SC but heavy Carolina Panthers (NC-based, strong SC fanbase) and Atlanta Falcons cross-border engagement
• NBA contracts — no NBA team in SC but Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks regional engagement
• MLB — no MLB team in SC; cross-border Braves (Atlanta) engagement
• NCAA football and basketball — South Carolina Gamecocks football (SEC↗ (opens in a new tab)) and Clemson Tigers football (ACC) drive massive SC-resident engagement on Kalshi every Saturday during fall season; the Carolina-Clemson rivalry (Palmetto Bowl) is among the most-traded college contracts on Kalshi each November. The South Carolina women's basketball program (Dawn Staley's Gamecocks, multi-time NCAA champions) drives heavy WCBB engagement during March Madness. The Delaware State at South Carolina State CBB market on Robinhood (January 2026) shows even small SC-conference matchups are covered
• Politics — 2026 midterms (SC federal races), 2028 presidential (SC's first-in-the-South primary makes presidential contracts especially relevant), congressional control.

Best Platforms for South Carolina Residents

Kalshi is our top pick for South Carolina, particularly for Gamecocks football, Clemson football, and South Carolina women's basketball markets where it has the deepest published liquidity.

Polymarket US offers strong politics and crypto liquidity, especially relevant for SC's first-in-the-South presidential primary cycle markets.

Robinhood provides Kalshi-routed contracts inside the familiar Robinhood app — useful for SC residents who already use Robinhood for equities.

DraftKings Predictions and FanDuel Predicts are interesting in SC precisely because neither company operates a South Carolina sportsbook (none exists). For SC residents, these are net-new sports-betting-equivalent access points operating under federal CFTC regulation.

How SC Compares to Neighboring States

• Florida: Available (as of October 3, 2026)
• Georgia: Available (as of October 3, 2026)
• North Carolina: Available (as of October 3, 2026)
• Tennessee: Available, dispute pending (as of October 3, 2026)

Tax Considerations for South Carolina Residents

South Carolina has a graduated state income tax with a top rate of 6.2% (after recent SC tax reform reducing the rate from prior 7% level). Net gains from prediction market trading are taxable at federal level plus the SC state rate. Kalshi provides a profit-and-loss statement for your trades; platforms' 1099s mainly cover interest, rewards and crypto transfers.

Because SC has no legal sportsbooks, there is no W-2G parallel reporting in-state — all sports outcome trading by SC residents is recorded in the platforms' own statements. This simplifies SC-resident tax accounting compared to states with both regimes.

What could change the status

Dates we are watching: Nevada's responses to the Robinhood and Crypto.com Supreme Court petitions are now due November 13 and 16, 2026 (both extended in October), and Kalshi's response to New Jersey's petition is due November 9, 2026 (deadlines can be extended); the earliest the Supreme Court could act on the petitions is a conference in December 2026 or January 2027 (our estimate, not a scheduled date); the Fourth Circuit has not yet ruled on Kalshi's appeal in its Maryland case, which covers South Carolina. We re-check this page when any of these happen and log the change above.

Best Platforms Compared

Status in South Carolina as of October 3, 2026

Platform	Status	Why (source)	Welcome offer in South Carolina
Kalshi	Available	Kalshi accepts South Carolina residents; no court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in South Carolina was found in our legal timeline. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $25 and Get $25!
Polymarket US	Available	Polymarket US accepts South Carolina residents; no court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in South Carolina was found in our legal timeline. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Deposit $10 get a $25 Trading Bonus!
ProphetX	Available	ProphetX accepts South Carolina residents; no court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in South Carolina was found in our legal timeline. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $50, Earn $75!
OG (by Crypto.com)	Available	OG accepts South Carolina residents; no court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in South Carolina was found in our legal timeline. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Trade $25 Get $50 in Rewards! (New users only)
Novig	Available	Novig accepts South Carolina residents; no court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in South Carolina was found in our legal timeline. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Deposit $10 Get $50 in Trade Credits!
Rebet	Available	Rebet is a sweepstakes app, not a CFTC-regulated exchange; its sweepstakes rules include South Carolina. (source (opens in a new tab))	Valid: Get a 100% purchase match up to $100!

What changed (newest first)

• Sep 25, 2026 (federal) — Sixth Circuit rules against Kalshi in Ohio and Tennessee appeals. Source: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (opinion, Nos. 26-3196/26-5235) (opens in a new tab)
• Sep 11, 2026 (federal) — Crypto.com asks Supreme Court to review Ninth Circuit ruling (No. 26-344). Source: Supreme Court of the United States, docket No. 26-344 (opens in a new tab)
• Sep 10, 2026 (federal) — Kalshi seeks Ninth Circuit rehearing; Robinhood petitions Supreme Court. Source: Sports Betting Dime (opens in a new tab)
• Sep 2, 2026 (federal) — New Jersey asks U.S. Supreme Court to review Kalshi preemption ruling. Source: New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (opens in a new tab)
• Aug 28, 2026 (federal) — Ninth Circuit rules for Nevada regulators in Kalshi case. Source: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (opinion, No. 25-7516) (opens in a new tab)
• Apr 6, 2026 (federal) — Third Circuit sides with Kalshi against New Jersey regulators. Source: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (opinion, No. 25-1922) (opens in a new tab)

_No South Carolina-specific entry is in the legal timeline; the list shows the federal rulings and Supreme Court petitions that shape the national picture._

Prediction markets in other states

• Alaska
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wyoming
• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Puerto Rico
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Washington DC
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

§ References & Sources

1. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) (opens in a new tab)— U.S. federal regulator
2. CFTC Designated Contract Markets list (opens in a new tab)— CFTC
3. 26 U.S. Code § 1256 — Section 1256 contracts marked to market (opens in a new tab)— Cornell Law / U.S. Code
4. IRS Form 6781 — Gains and Losses From Section 1256 Contracts (opens in a new tab)— Internal Revenue Service
5. National Council on Problem Gambling — 1-800-GAMBLER (opens in a new tab)— NCPG

Frequently asked questions

Are prediction markets legal in South Carolina?

We don't give legal verdicts, but here is the status as of October 3, 2026: Kalshi, Polymarket US, ProphetX, OG and Novig: Available. No court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in South Carolina was found in the legal timeline (absence is not proof). Nationally, federal appeals courts are split on sports event contracts, all at the preliminary-injunction stage, and three Supreme Court petitions are pending; none has been granted.

Can I use Kalshi in South Carolina?

Status as of October 3, 2026: Available. Kalshi accepts South Carolina residents; no court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in South Carolina was found in our legal timeline. Kalshi's welcome offer (Trade $25 and Get $25!) applies to South Carolina residents. Kalshi's minimum age is 18; we recommend 21+.

Has South Carolina taken action against prediction markets?

Our legal timeline has no court ruling or state enforcement action on prediction markets in South Carolina (that is not proof none exists). No federal appeals court covering South Carolina has ruled on sports event contracts.

What could change the status in South Carolina?

Dates we are watching: Nevada's responses to the Robinhood and Crypto.com Supreme Court petitions are now due November 13 and 16, 2026 (both extended in October), and Kalshi's response to New Jersey's petition is due November 9, 2026 (deadlines can be extended); the earliest the Supreme Court could act on the petitions is a conference in December 2026 or January 2027 (our estimate, not a scheduled date); the Fourth Circuit has not yet ruled on Kalshi's appeal in its Maryland case, which covers South Carolina. We re-check this page when any of these happen and log the change above.