Hawaii is one step closer to legalizing sports betting in the Aloha State. House Bill 1308, pushed by Representative Daniel Holt, has passed in the House of Representatives with a 35-15 vote, moving on to the Senate.
Hawaii is one of two states that have no form of regulated gambling, the other being Utah. HB1308 would introduce the regulation of at least four online sportsbooks to the state, with a previous tax rate for operators set at 10%. However, the bill has since been amended, and what sportsbook operators must pay is unclear.
In addition, lawmakers and proponents of the bill are wary of its success in the Senate, with HB1308’s companion bill, Senate Bill 1569, already failing in the Senate’s Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
Published testimonies regarding the legalization of sports wagering have shown the bill’s unpopularity, with the Department of Attorney General being one of many outspoken critics. “Studies have shown that legalized online sports betting results in adverse societal impacts, high costs to address those adverse impacts, and increased crime,” the Department’s testimony read.
National Director of Stop Predatory Gambling Les Bernal also opposed sports betting’s legalization, saying in his testimony, “There is no citizens grassroots movement for online gambling in Hawaii or any other state. The lobbying effort in Hawaii is being driven by the greed of powerful, out-of-state
financial interests who stand to reap hundreds of millions of dollars in profits at the expense of your constituents.”
HB1308 has until May 2 to pass in Hawaii’s Senate.