WSPA: Bill Would Allow Churches, Non-Profits to Host Gambling

February 19, 2008 by senatormcconnell

A bill passed by a state Senate subcommittee would allow churches and other non-profit groups to raise money through gambling. The bill says state laws against gambling would not apply to non-profit organizations that organize games with cards or dice when the activity is being done for fundraising and is of “limited duration”.

The bill passed in subcommittee Thursday and now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston. McConnell is also the sponsor of the gambling bill.

The South Carolina Baptist Convention fought against video poker and the creation of the state lottery, so you can imagine how it feels about allowing gambling within churches. Joe Mack, director of the Convention’s Office of Public Policy Issues, says the bill “would be a huge expansion of gambling.”

He says it’s being portrayed as something a few non-profit groups might do occasionally. “But I think it’s a slippery slope,” he says. “Once you open the door, we don’t know where it will end up, just like we did not with video poker.”

At the subcommittee meeting, no one spoke in favor of the bill. Mason Hardy, president of the South Carolina Association of Non-Profit Organizations, did speak, but his group is not taking a stand yet for or against the bill.

“As this bill is currently written, we’re trying to determine–is it in the best interest of non-profits? And we’re not sure that it is,” he says.

“The bill says, ‘for a limited duration.’ We’re not exactly sure what ‘limited duration’ means. Does that mean a few hours? Does that mean they could do it a few hours one day and then a few hours the next day and then the next day? What we don’t want to see here is a gambling hall for non-profits,” he says.

He’s also worried that third-party, for-profit groups could offer their services to run “casino nights” for the non-profit groups, then keep most of the money for themselves.

Sen. Glenn McConnell could not be reached for comment.

But even if the bill passes in the legislature, odds are against it becoming law. A spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford says the governor is generally against expanding gambling for any purpose.

Published by WSPA
by Robert Kittle

Comments