Hawaii Lawmakers Lobby Bills for Potential Online Casino Games

Residents in Hawaii might see their picturesque island paradise become home to traditional and online gambling as well as sports betting. Currently, the Hawaiian legislature is considering the legalization of different forms of gambling within their territory this year.

To this end, Hawaiian lawmakers have designed various bills to lay the groundwork for a potential real money online casino gambling environment for the Aloha State.

SB1507 Seeks to become the Foundation for Online Casinos in Hawaii 

SB1507 was drafted by Senate President Ron Kouchi, and aims to create the Hawaii Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Its main purpose is the regulation and conduction of wagering and gaming in the State. Moreover, SB1507 lobbies the establishment of the Lottery and Gaming Special Fund and allocates certain percentages of the fund to various community betterment purposes.

One key factor in Kouchi’s bill is that it doesn’t limit gaming in conventional establishments. The focus seems to be on online platforms, with language and terms the bill tackles are related to software, websites and geolocation.

In the bills’ definitions sections, lottery games are defined as “any game of chance approved by the board and operated pursuant to this chapter, including but not limited to online interactive instant win games and draw games.”

On top of becoming the latest state to offer new USA online casinos to its residents if the Bill gets passed, Hawaii would also become the first state to legalize online casinos in the absence of any permanent in-person gaming.

Several Hawaii Sports Betting Bills have been Drafted

On the subject of sportsbook betting, SB1572 is a bill that proposes the establishment of a Hawaii State Sports Wagering Commission within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Its main purpose is to establish licensing requirements for sports wagering operators, as well as create, implement, and enforce penalties for violations,

“The legislature finds that sports wagering is a commonplace activity and that tens of thousands of residents in the State participate in illegal online sports gambling on unregulated internet sites each year,” SB1572 states.

SB1572 is currently sponsored by Senator Donna Kim and Senator Lynn DeCoite.

Meanwhile, two sets of bills have also been filed with the House of Representatives and Senate respectively, with HB1308 and SB1569 outlining the same concept for legalizing sports betting. 

The bills seek to similarly lay the groundwork for regulated gambling in the state and detail the scope of betting activity, prohibited activities, and licensing conditions.

HB 1308’s sponsors are Representatives Daniel Holt, Darius Kila, and Chris Todd. Meanwhile, SB1569 is currently sponsored by Senator Lynn DeCoite, Senators Kurt Fevella, Michelle Kidani, Tim Richards, Donna Kim, Joy San Buenaventura, and Glenn Wakai.