Date of Award

Spring 2022

Degree Type

Thesis

Director of Thesis

Dr. Stephen Shapiro

First Reader

Parker Sutton

Second Reader

Parker Sutton

Abstract

After the U.S. Supreme Court deemed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), sports betting has expanded across the country at a rapid pace. As the sports gambling industry continues to grow, states that have not passed legislation are left wondering whether legalization would benefit their constituents.

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and consequences of legalizing mobile sports gambling in the state of South Carolina. This study can inform state leaders on how to implement mobile sports gambling in the state as well as the positive and negative repercussions that would follow legislation. As more states legalize mobile sports gambling to provide additional tax revenue, it is vital that South Carolina does its due diligence to decide whether sports betting would be beneficial for the state.

Because legal sports betting is still in its infancy, the growth of the industry has enormous potential. States can take advantage of these restrictions being lifted by charging gaming companies a tax rate to allocate towards education, infrastructure, and various other funds. The addictive nature of gambling give some states hesitation on passing legislation. There is evidence mobile sports gaming can increase the likelihood of problem gambling as opposed to betting at a retail casino. It is up to state leaders to analyze the data and perform in-depth research to determine whether legal sports gambling will positively or negatively impact their constituents.

The results of the study provide the overall implications and limitations of legalizing sports betting in the state of South Carolina through mixed methods research consisting of interview design, survey design, and case study design. Results showed that mobile sports gambling will continue to spread throughout the country as more states legalize it over time. Research showed that a majority of young South Carolina residents are in favor of making mobile sports gambling legal and that a mobile-only model would be the best implementation strategy for the state.

First Page

1

Last Page

34

Rights

© 2022, Drew Pechulonis

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