After a long history of holding an anti-gambling stance, lawmakers in Hawaii are on the brink of bringing sports betting and a brick-and-mortar casino to the island.
A sports betting bill looks to clear its final hurdle and the governor is backing a new casino project.
Sports Betting Heads To Senate Floor
On Wednesday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee passed HB 1308 by an 11-2 margin. The bill would legalize and regulate a Hawaii online sports betting market.
Now, the bill heads the Senate floor for a full vote. If the body passes the bill, it would need Gov. Josh Green’s signature to become law.
Three Democrat representatives introduced the bill at the start of the legislative session. The key points of the bill as it currently stands are a 10% tax rate on sportsbooks’ gross revenue and a $250,000 licensing fee for every operator.
The House passed the bill by a 35-15 margin at the start of April, sending the bill to the upper chamber. The Senate has until the legislative session ends on May 2 to vote on the bill.
However, Green hasn’t made a public statement on the issue. Thus, it’s not a given that it becomes law if it passes the Senate.
Lawmakers failed to pass sports betting and online poker legislation last year.
New Stadium Could Bring Hawaii’s First Casino
While Green’s stance on sports betting is unknown, it seems that he would support a brick-and-mortar casino as part of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District project.
The plan would renovate Aloha Stadium and redevelop the area around the venue with residential market and housing options, hotels, offices, retail, commercial, and entertainment options.
According to local media, Gov. Josh Green appears to support a casino component to help fund the entire project, and a state senate subcommittee recently approved creating a “Gaming Working Group” to study the effects of legalized gambling in Hawaii.
“We got a survey or poll of people, and about two out of three in our state wanted to do gaming as long as the monies went to an important set of projects, mostly housing,” Green told KHON. “So, a lot of people want housing. Interestingly, the Hawaiian community, in an overwhelmingly big number, wanted this gambling option as long as it went towards housing for Hawaiians. So it may find its time, and that would certainly unlock the key to building a bigger and more beautiful stadium and entertainment district.”
Aloha Halawa District Partners is the developer behind the project, and contracts are expected to be completed by June. The goal is that the district will be open and the stadium renovation complete by the beginning of the 2028 University of Hawaii football season.
Along with Utah, Hawaii is one of only two U.S. states without legal gambling. Neither state has a state lottery, let alone casinos or sports betting.
Sen. Glenn Wakai has pushed for 20-year casino licensing for a gaming destination within the NASED. SB 893 would also establish a Hawaii Gaming Control Commission and tax gaming revenue at 15%.
Like sports betting, lawmakers have also introduced bills to legalize casinos in the past as well, but none of those came to fruition.
