Hawaii Lawmakers Move Forward Bills to Legalize Casinos, Sports Betting

Hawaiian lawmakers are considering multiple bills that would legalize gambling in the state, though those efforts face uphill battles.

Both a bill to allow for sports betting in Hawaii and a separate bill that would authorize casino licensing in the state found success in their first committee hearings this month.

Supporters See Demand for Sports Betting

Hawaii – along with Utah – is one of only two states that has no legalized gambling of any kind. Senate Bill 1569 would allow the regulation of sports betting and daily fantasy sports, without classifying sports wagering as gambling. That bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee on Feb. 4. 

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 893, which would establish the Hawaii Gaming Control Commission and allow for casinos in the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District and Hawaii Convention Center, made it through the same committee by a slimmer 3-2 margin. Both bills have companion legislation moving through the Hawaiian State House. 

One of the legislators supporting these bills in the committee votes, Sen. Glenn Wakai (D-Kalihi/Salt Lake/Foster Village), argues that regulating sports betting in Hawaii would bring activity that’s already happening on the islands above board and generate revenue for the state.

“Today is the biggest gambling day of the entire year,” Wakai told KHON 2 on Super Bowl Sunday. “People are doing parlay sheets. They’re betting galore today. Why can’t we as a state legalize that and take a tax off of all of that action taking place?”

The sports betting bill would require operators to pay a $250,000 licensing fee, as well as a 10 percent tax on sports betting revenues.

Casino Legislation Faces Stiff Opposition

Wakai also voted in favor of the casino bill, saying that there’s an appetite to bring resort gaming to Hawaii.

“Considering that we kind of all joke in this community about how Las Vegas is the Ninth Island, this approach is to bring that Ninth Island back home, to bring the revenues back up, to bring the excitement of casino gaming to Hawaii,” Wakai said.

The casino bill would allow for a maximum of two licenses. Applicants would have to pay a nonrefundable application fee of $1 million, with monthly gross receipts from the casinos being taxed at 15 percent. 

While both bills have a long way to go before becoming law, the casino bill likely faces longer odds, as it is more ambitious and has already faced pushback at the committee level.

“All the people who are going to spend their paycheck every couple of weeks with that hope of trying to win,” Sen. Brenton Awa (R-Oahu) said during discussion on the casino bill, “…it’s known that when you have access to lose your money, you’re probably gonna lose your money if you’re not disciplined.”

These bills continue an ongoing campaign to legalize some form of gambling in Hawaii in recent years. 

In 2022, a bill that would have allowed for just one sportsbook on Oahu stalled in committee after being opposed by local community groups. In 2023, a bill to allow for online sports betting similarly failed without advancing, while bills to legalize both online poker and sports betting failed in 2024.

(Image: Ingus Kriklitis / Alamy)