2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 27 - Property and Conveyances › Chapter 16 - Catawba Indian Claims Settlement Act › Section 27-16-110. Bingo, video poker and similar devices; other gambling or wagering; state laws to govern; licenses; tax.

(A) Except as specifically provided in the federal implementing legislation and this chapter, all laws, ordinances, and regulations of South Carolina and its political subdivisions govern the conduct of gambling or wager by the Tribe on and off the Reservation.
(B) The State shall govern the conduct of bingo under Article 24, Chapter 21 of Title 12, Regulation of Bingo Games, including regulations or rulings issued in relation to that article, except as provided by the special bingo license to which the Tribe is entitled in accordance with this section if it elects to sponsor bingo games under the special license.
(1) For purposes of conducting the game of bingo, the Tribe is deemed a nonprofit organization under Article 24, Chapter 21 of Title 12.
(2) If the Tribe elects to conduct the game of bingo either on or off the Reservation, the Tribe shall obtain a license from the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Based on the Tribe's election, the Tribe may be licensed by the South Carolina Department of Revenue to conduct games of bingo under a regular license allowed nonprofit organizations or under the special license provided by this section.
(C) The Tribe may apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a special bingo license in lieu of licenses authorized by Article 24, Chapter 21 of Title 12. A special or regular license must be granted if the Tribe complies with licensing requirements and procedures. The special license is identical in all respects to the class of license permitting the highest level of prizes allowed by law and carries the same privileges and duties as the class of license permitting the highest level of prizes provided by law, except:
(1) The frequency of the sessions must be determined by the executive committee but must be no more frequent than six sessions a week, with sessions on Sundays prohibited unless state law otherwise expressly allows Sunday sessions.
(2) The amount of prizes offered each session must be determined by the Tribe, but must not be greater than one hundred thousand dollars for any game.
(3) The Tribe shall pay, in lieu of an admission, a head, a license, or any other bingo tax, a special bingo tax equal to ten percent for each dollar of face value for each bingo card sold. No other federal, state, or local taxes apply to revenues generated by the bingo games operated by the Tribe. All revenues derived from the special bingo tax must be collected by the South Carolina Department of Revenue and deposited with the State Treasurer for the benefit of the General Fund of South Carolina.
(4) At least fifty percent of the gross proceeds received by the Tribe during a calendar quarter must be returned to the players in the form of prizes. For purposes of this section, "gross proceeds" does not include the ten percent special bingo tax.
(5) The Tribe is entitled to two bingo licenses, and these licenses may be used to operate at two locations only. They are not assignable to any other entity or individual.
(6) The net proceeds derived by the Tribe from the conduct of bingo may be used for any purpose authorized by the Tribe.
(D) The Tribe may elect to operate one of the games under a special bingo license off the Reservation and not within the one hundred forty-four thousand acre Catawba Claim Area, but before doing so, it first must obtain the approval of the governing authority of the county and any municipality in which it seeks to locate the facility. If the Tribe elects to operate one or both of the games off the Reservation but within the one hundred forty-four thousand acre Catawba Claim Area, it shall do so in an area zoned compatibly for commercial activities after consulting with the municipality or county where a facility is to be located.
(E) The sponsor and promoter of the bingo games is the Catawba Indian Tribe, and all profits gained from the enterprise accrue to the Tribe. The South Carolina Department of Revenue, or its regulatory successor, has the power to administer, oversee, and regulate all bingo games sponsored and conducted by the Tribe, audit and enforce the operation of the games, and assess and collect taxes, interest, and penalties in accordance with the laws and regulations of the State as they apply to the Tribe. The South Carolina Department of Revenue, or its regulatory successor, has the right to suspend or revoke the Tribe's bingo license or special bingo license if the Tribe violates the law with regard to conducting the game. However, the Department of Revenue, or its regulatory successor, first shall notify the Tribe of violations and provide the Tribe with an opportunity to correct the violations before its license may be revoked. Failure to pay bingo taxes, interest, or penalties may be grounds for license revocation.
(F) A license of the Tribe to conduct bingo must be revoked if the game of bingo is no longer licensed by the State. If the State resumes licensing the game of bingo, the Tribe's license or special license must be reinstated if the Tribe complies with all licensing requirements and procedures.
(G) The Tribe may permit on its Reservation video poker or similar electronic play devices to the same extent that the devices are authorized by state law. The Tribe is subject to all taxes, license requirements, regulations, and fees governing electronic play devices provided by state law, except if the Reservation is located in a county or counties which prohibit the devices pursuant to state law, the Tribe nonetheless must be permitted to operate the devices on the Reservation if the governing body of the Tribe so authorizes, subject to all taxes, license requirements, regulations, and fees governing electronic play devices provided by state law.
(H) If the Tribe elects to sponsor and conduct games of bingo under a regular license allowed nonprofit organizations under Article 24, Chapter 21 of Title 12, the Tribe must be taxed as a nonprofit corporation under that article.
HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 142, Section 1; 1998 Act No. 334, Section 2.