Talks of Expansion, But Little Action
Nobody should expect resort casino complexes to invade Hawaii anytime soon. Even smaller attempts at gaming operations in the state have been shut down by authorities: in 2014, police made a series of major busts against so-called sweepstakes cafes, venues that attempted to sneak around state law by claiming their machines technically don’t constitute gambling. In 2010, there was brief talk about finally opening the state to casino gambling, but it didn’t get far, and efforts have faded in more recent years.
Surprisingly, however, there has been movement in another area: Internet sites. In 2012, the state house considered a bill that would have developed an Internet lottery corporation for the state, one that would allow for a lottery and other games, such as online poker. Several state representatives supported the bill, but it failed to gain any traction.
The issue didn’t die, however, and another attempt was made in 2013 – this time in the state Senate. The bill attempted to make the point that regulation was better than allowing Hawaiians to play on largely unregulated foreign sites, but again, few lawmakers in the state showed any interest in allowing the issue to go forward.
While these developments show that there might be hope for bringing some sort of gaming industry to Hawaii in the years to come, those hoping to gamble in the state shouldn’t start holding their breath just yet and look at other countries. There has been some significant pushback against each of these efforts, particularly when it comes to gaming online. Officials, including the state’s Attorney General, have come out strongly against online poker and other games, a move that suggests it would be hard to build a consensus on the issue anytime soon. So for the time being, Hawaii online gambling sites will remain unregulated. Luckily there are still plenty of good options available.
Citations and Recommended Reading
