The outlook is the most grim along the North Carolina state line, where officials estimate over 80 percent of the lottery business in York County, which borders Charlotte, N.C., comes from the Tar Heel state.
But retailers all along the state line likely will suffer, since an estimated 12 percent of South Carolina lottery customers live in North Carolina.
Another hit could come at the end of May, when North Carolina joins South Carolina and more than two dozen other states in the multistate Powerball lottery.
South Carolina lottery director Ernie Passailaigue said his promotions staff plans live radio spots and T-shirt giveaways at retailers throughout the state.
But once the excitement of the start of the North Carolina lottery settles down, Passailaigue said more mundane concerns should keep North Carolinians crossing the state line to South Carolina, where gas and cigarettes are cheaper.
"Ninety percent of our tickets are sold at convenience stores with gas. If you live close to the border, your buying habits will typically be to buy where gasoline is cheap," Passailaigue said. "If you smoke cigarettes, you're probably going to be going to a South Carolina location."
And those customers likely will buy lottery tickets at the same convenience stores, Passailaigue said.
South Carolina also can offer richer prizes for the same ticket price, Passailaigue said. North Carolina lawmakers have mandated that 35 percent of the state's lottery revenues go to education. South Carolina allocates 28.7 percent to education.
At the Shell station in McColl, assistant manager Nieisha Harrington said she doesn't expect a big drop in business from North Carolina.
"We're not worried. As long as it's cheaper gas, they're still gonna come in and buy lotto," Harrington said.
South Carolina's second-highest lottery retailer, the Borderline Mini Mart on U.S. 321 in Clover, plans to focus on customer service.
"You'd be foolish to think you're not going to lose some," owner Victor Boulware said. "But realistically, I think we'll still do a good amount of business."
Next Saturday, two days after North Carolina starts selling tickets, Boulware plans a customer appreciation day with giveaways to keep his customers coming in.
But a lottery expert and former editor at Gambling Times magazine said players are more concerned with convenience than anything else.
"I'm sorry to break the bad news. Everybody wants to have a lottery ticket and be in on the action, but they want to do what's most convenient." Gail Howard said. "And convenient is up the block and not to the border."