News writer
The South Carolina Lottery may soon look a lot different at checkout. As officials try to connect with a younger, more self-service generation, lawmakers are considering a plan to bring lottery ticket vending machines to stores statewide. It's an idea that could not only modernize how tickets are sold, but also generate millions more for education in the process.
Bringing in the next generation
The South Carolina Lottery Commission is looking to attract the next generation of lottery players. They want to bring in those people who may want to gamble on the chance of winning the big jackpot.
How are they going to do this? They want permission to start selling South Carolina Lottery tickets via vending machines placed in gas stations, grocery stores, and other lottery retailer locations across the state.
Why vending machines? South Carolina Lottery Director says when she goes into the grocery store, she notices the line for the self-service checkout is always huge. Dolly Garfield told House budget writers in January:
And where there are live clerks, they're empty, because the younger generation doesn't talk to people. That's a sad reality, but it's the truth.
Because they don't like to talk to people, offer them a vending machine option, and they can still buy the tickets.
Efforts for the next state budget failed
In March 2026, there were efforts made to add a one-year rule to the next state budget. However, that failed during the debate.
At the time, House Speaker Murrell Smith, a Republican from Sumter, struck down the proposal. He ruled it unrelated to state spending.
A new route is being taken
While it failed to be placed into the next state budget, lawmakers now have other plans. On April 1, 2026, the House Ways and Means Committee voted 16-4 to forward to the floor a bill that would approve the use of the vending machines permanently in state law.
In addition, the idea of adding self-service kiosks to gas stations has long had the support of the association that represents gas station owners in the state, according to Garfield.
Higher revenue
By adding these vending machines, the Lottery Commission anticipates that the state could pay off the cost of buying 500 new machines within the first year.
The cost for the machines would be $20,000. They anticipate the state lottery would earn between $1 million and $6.5 million in additional revenue in the first year after installing them.
After that first year, the Commission estimates it could raise between $3.4 million and $9 million more every year for educational scholarships in the state.
The only state lottery without these machines
South Carolina is currently the only state lottery in the country that doesn't allow these machines. Nebraska was the only other state to not allow them, but in February 2026, its governor signed into law a bill that allowed the machines to be used in the state.
For these machines, they would be required to read IDs to make sure a person is at least 18 years old.
Other efforts to attract younger customers
In addition to this effort with the vending machines, lottery officials have been working on other ways to attract the younger generation to the lottery.
In 2025, a law was passed that allowed people to buy lottery tickets with a debit card rather than only cash. This change is already paying off.
Anne Huffman, the CFO for the lottery, told budget writers in January that retailers who began accepting debit cards saw 7.5% higher sales compared to those who did not. This resulted in $11.6 million more for education.
Currently, Huffman said about 57% of the state's 4,030 lottery retailers accept debit cards for payments.
Enjoy playing the South Carolina Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
