SOUTH CAROLINA: Legislation would declare charity raffles legal

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Legislation would declare charity raffles legal
By GINA SMITH - gnsmith@thestate.com

Lawmakers moved Tuesday to ensure that S.C. churches, schools and nonprofits do not unknowingly break the law when they hold charitable raffles.

Legislation, approved by a Senate committee Tuesday, would change the state Constitution to allow the groups to hold a limited number of raffles and casino nights annually — as long as 90 percent of the money raised goes to benefit charitable causes.

“It’s a good start,” said Austin Coates of ABATE South Carolina, a motorcyclist rights nonprofit that holds hundreds of raffles annually for Special Olympics, breast cancer prevention, burn victims and others. “But there’ll be a fight ahead before it becomes law.”

The bill next heads to the full Senate for consideration. Should it survive there, it would go to the House. Ultimately, however, voters would have to approve any change in the state Constitution.

Senate Speaker Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, has been pushing the measure along with other updates to the state’s century-old gaming laws. “It’s inconceivable we have laws to control the raffling of a cake,” McConnell said.

But some senators worry the gambling will get out of hand.

“What one generation does in moderation the next does in excess,” said state Sen. Phillip Shoopman, R-Greenville.

State Sen. Joel Lourie, R-Richland, tried and failed in his attempt to limit the number of raffles allowed annually to two and the number of casino nights — when people play roulette, blackjack, poker or other card and dice games to benefit a charitable cause — to one.

“My concern is we don’t have these nonprofits become raffle houses,” Lourie said, adding video poker crept into South Carolina under a similarly harmless-sounding bill.

The measure passed 18-4, powered by senators who say groups in their districts already hold raffles and should have a right to continue. Under the proposal they passed, charitable groups registered with the Secretary of State’s Office would be able to hold four raffles and two casino nights a year.

“I’m opposed to gambling,” said state Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens. “But I don’t see a raffle as gambling per se. This is more of a fundraising effort that’s used by a lot of groups.”