Hawaii Gambling Laws

Hawaii might be the dream destination for many, but definitely not for casino players. Hawaii gambling laws are said to be the most restrictive in the US.

Hawaii gambling laws

Hawaii is among the world’s top destinations for relaxing. However, the Hawaii gambling laws are not relaxed at all. The majority of US gambling news outlets consider the gambling laws of Hawaii the strictest of all states. Unlike other states’, Hawaii’s history does not involve any type gambling. Lawfully, there are no casinos, video lottery games, gambling abroad ships, charity gambling or anything resembling those in Hawaii.

Illegal gambling in Hawaii is a criminal offense that might result in jail time. There were numerous attempts to legalize gambling in Hawaii but all of them failed. One of those, HB2788 would have established a stand-alone casino in Waikiki with a twenty-year license. After only 19 days the bill was deferred. “We could get a bigger bang for the buck than a lot of states by marketing gambling toward tourists,” realizes Naalehu Rep. Richard Craegan. Hawaii betting and gambling related bills on 2016’s agenda are the following:

SB 1373

• Relating to a Parimutuel Wagering Pilot Project

HB 1557

• Relating to Tax Relief (exempt from taxation the gambling winnings acquired outside the state)

Online Gambling in Hawaii

Just like land-based gambling, online gambling is prohibited in Hawaii. There are some online casinos that accept Hawaiian players, but their allowance is illegal and the promotion of gambling in Hawaii is a class C felony or, at least, a misdemeanor.

“The technology may have changed, but the vice has not,” said Doug Chin, Hawaii Attorney General, about internet gambling and those who’re searching for legal loopholes. According to US gambling news, in 2015, the Hawaii legislature was considering the legalization of online gambling.

Lotteries in Hawaii

There are only six states without state lottery and one of those is Hawaii. There are plenty of bill’s pushing for a Hawaii lottery, including HB 1830, HB 2536, and SB 2626. According to HB 2536, the lottery proceeds would be used to address homelessness. In the past decade, there were many similar attempts to legalize lotteries in Hawaii, but similarly to other gambling laws, they all failed. “There are almost always bills submitted on this issue,” said Kona Senator, Josh Green. “I’d be surprised if anything would transpire soon,” added North Hawaii Sen. Lorriane Inouye.

Daily Fantasy Sports in Hawaii

Released in 2016, the formal advisory opinion of Hawaii’s attorney general, Doug Chin, said that daily fantasy sports are illegal in Hawaii. After the attorney general’s opinion, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro demanded that the two leading daily fantasy sports operators stop accepting wagers from Honolulu residents. There are several daily fantasy sports related bills on Hawaii legislature’s agenda. “We are hopeful our constructive engagement with Hawaii legislators will promptly address the issue,” said David Boise, DraftKing’s attorney. Boise also confirmed that they’ll stop accepting bets from Hawaiians.