South Carolina Casinos Map
South Carolina has no land based casinos. No commercial floors and no tribal casino, the result of some of the strictest gambling laws in the country. This South Carolina casinos map gives the honest version: the only legal casino gambling in the state happens at sea, aboard the Big M Casino, two cruise yachts out of Little River near Myrtle Beach that sail three miles into international waters before the slots open. For a casino floor on dry land, South Carolinians cross into North Carolina. The minimum age aboard the Little River boats is 21.
- Casinos
- 0in state · 1 cruise operator offshore
- Minimum age
- 21aboard the Big M cruise
- Sports betting
- Not legalno sportsbooks, no apps
- Casino gambling
- Bannedlottery & charity games only
Illustration An illustrated overview, not to scale. South Carolina has no land based casinos. See the interactive map below for the nearest locations.
Where to gamble in and near South Carolina
South Carolina is one of a small group of states with no casino on land. The ban is broad, and unlike some of its neighbors the state has no tribal casino to fall back on either. The one legal way to play a casino game without leaving South Carolina is to board a boat at Little River on the northern coast and sail out past the three mile line, where the Big M Casino runs its games in international waters.
For anyone who wants a real casino floor, the trip leads north into North Carolina. The closest is Catawba Two Kings at Kings Mountain, just over the line off Interstate 85 and within reach of the Upstate and the Charlotte border. Further into the mountains, Harrah’s Cherokee is the largest casino in the Carolinas and the bigger destination, roughly two hours from Greenville. Georgia, South Carolina’s other neighbor, has no casinos of its own, so the Lowcountry and the coast have the least nearby and lean on the Little River cruise.
The South Carolina casinos map
Verified Verified locations. The only South Carolina pin is the Big M cruise on the coast; the real casinos sit over the North Carolina line.
One casino cruise operator inside South Carolina, plus the nearest casinos across the North Carolina line. Drive times are approximate and dated May 2026.
§ The nearest casinos, state by state
Since South Carolina has none of its own on land, the routing job points outward. Each neighbor links to its own state hub and city pages as they come online.
North Carolina to the north · closest to the Upstate
North Carolina holds the nearest real casinos, all of them tribal. Catawba Two Kings at Kings Mountain is the closest, sitting just over the line off Interstate 85 west of Charlotte, an easy reach for the Upstate, Rock Hill, and the northern counties. Deeper into the western mountains, the Eastern Band of Cherokee runs Harrah’s Cherokee, the largest casino in the Carolinas, about two hours from Greenville, with its smaller Valley River property further west toward the Georgia and Tennessee corner.
Georgia to the southwest · no casinos
Georgia offers nothing closer. Like South Carolina it has no land based casinos, and its only in state gambling is a casino cruise on its own coast at Brunswick. For the Lowcountry and the southern half of South Carolina, that leaves the Little River boats or the long drive up to North Carolina.
The South Carolina coast Little River · the Big M cruise
The one option that never leaves the state is the Big M Casino at Little River, near the North Carolina line above North Myrtle Beach. Its two yachts carry the only legal casino games in South Carolina, which is why the coast around Myrtle Beach is the state’s de facto gambling hub even though nothing sits on land.
Casino laws and the gambling age in South Carolina
South Carolina has among the most restrictive gambling laws in the United States. Casino gambling on land is illegal, there are no commercial or tribal casinos, and the state does not allow sports betting or online casinos. Legal gambling is limited to the South Carolina Education Lottery, charitable bingo and raffles, and the offshore casino cruise. The cruise is permitted under the state’s Gambling Cruise Act, which lets a boat sail from a South Carolina port and offer games once it reaches international waters, the only carve out from the broad ban.
The minimum age is 18 to play the Education Lottery and 21 to board and gamble on the Big M cruise. Because there is no casino floor on land, there is no in state gaming regulator of the kind other states run. Hours and rules on the cruise can change, so confirm with the operator before planning around them.
Dated fact South Carolina has no land based commercial or tribal casinos, confirmed against current sources and verified May 2026. The only in state casino gambling is the Big M cruise out of Little River, where the minimum age is 21. Recheck before relying on it.
The Big M, South Carolina’s casino at sea
The Big M Casino is the only place to play a casino game inside South Carolina, and it does so by leaving the state’s jurisdiction. Two yachts sail from the docks at Little River, near the North Carolina line above North Myrtle Beach, out past the three mile limit into international waters where gambling is legal. Each boat carries a few hundred passengers on day and evening cruises that run year round, with slots, blackjack, roulette, three card poker, video poker, and bingo on the day sailings. You must be 21 to board. It works the way the old riverboat and offshore casinos did, trading a fixed address for a legal loophole, and for the Myrtle Beach area it stands in as the local casino that the state will not allow on land.
Why the Catawba Nation’s casino is in North Carolina
South Carolina is home to the Catawba Indian Nation, based at Rock Hill near the North Carolina line, yet the tribe’s casino sits in another state. The reason is a 1993 federal settlement that resolved the Catawba land claim but barred the nation from running casino style gaming on its South Carolina reservation. To open a casino at all, the Catawba pursued land in trust across the border and built Two Kings at Kings Mountain, North Carolina, which opened a temporary floor in 2021 and a permanent first phase in 2026. It is the rare case of a state’s own tribe operating its casino just outside the state, a direct result of South Carolina’s refusal to permit casino gaming at home.
Will South Carolina legalize casinos?
Efforts to bring casinos onto South Carolina soil keep surfacing and keep failing. The most recent push, the I-95 Economic and Education Stimulus Act, would have allowed commercial casinos in a handful of economically distressed counties along Interstate 95, such as Dillon, Marlboro, and Orangeburg, with the revenue aimed at education. The bill stalled in the legislature without reaching a House floor vote, and it faces a skeptical Senate and a governor who has opposed gambling expansion. Separate proposals, including a casino at Santee, have drawn attention without becoming law. As of May 2026 nothing has passed, and South Carolina remains a state where the only casino games are out past the breakwater.
South Carolina casino questions
Q. Are there any casinos in South Carolina?
No. South Carolina has no land based commercial or tribal casinos, and it has some of the strictest gambling laws in the country. The only legal casino gambling is aboard the Big M Casino, two cruise yachts out of Little River near North Myrtle Beach that sail into international waters.
Q. Where is the nearest casino to South Carolina?
Across the state line in North Carolina. Catawba Two Kings at Kings Mountain, just off Interstate 85 west of Charlotte, is the closest for the Upstate, and Harrah's Cherokee in the mountains is the largest casino in the region, about two hours from Greenville.
Q. Does South Carolina have a tribal casino?
Not in the state. The Catawba Indian Nation is based at Rock Hill, South Carolina, but a federal settlement agreement bars it from running a casino on its South Carolina land, so it built Two Kings across the border in Kings Mountain, North Carolina instead.
Q. What is the minimum gambling age in South Carolina?
You must be 21 to board and gamble on the Big M cruise out of Little River, and 18 to play the South Carolina Education Lottery. The North Carolina casinos that South Carolinians drive to are 21 and over. Confirm at the venue, since policies can change.
Q. Is sports betting legal in South Carolina?
No. Sports betting is not legal in South Carolina as of 2026, and there are no legal sportsbooks or online casinos. Bills to expand gambling have repeatedly failed in the legislature.
Q. Can you gamble on a boat in South Carolina?
Yes. The Big M Casino out of Little River runs two yachts that sail three miles into international waters, where gambling is legal, on day and evening cruises year round. Passengers must be 21, with slots, blackjack, roulette, poker, and bingo on board.
Gamble responsibly. Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money, and only with money you can afford to lose. If gambling stops feeling like a choice, help is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET, or visit 1800myreset.org. You must be of legal age to gamble. More on recognizing a problem and finding help.
Editorial note
Reviewed by the CasinosMap editorial desk. That South Carolina has no land based commercial or tribal casinos was confirmed against current sources rather than prior knowledge, as was the status of the Big M cruise out of Little River and its 21 and over age. The Catawba Nation's settlement bar on a South Carolina casino, and its Two Kings casino across the line in North Carolina, were checked against current coverage. The nearest out of state casinos and the failed 2025 to 2026 legalization bills are treated as a dated snapshot.
Sources
- The Big M Casino Little River cruise, two ships, 21 and over, games and schedule
- South Carolina Legislature H4176 I-95 casino bill and the state's gambling statutes
- Post and Courier Catawba Nation settlement bar and its North Carolina casino
- 500 Nations no land based casinos in South Carolina, Catawba Two Kings status