Hawaii Sports activities Betting Odds Lengthen, as Chambers Converge

• Hawaii lawmakers are convening to try to discover a sports activities betting compromise
• Opponents fear about drawback playing
• Proponents say Hawaiians already playing on sports activities

Sports activities betting laws in Hawaii has been a stunning mover in 2025, however the push to convey authorized playing on skilled and school sports activities to the islands may very well be reaching an endpoint.

An “aloha” picket signal is seen on the Island of Hawaii. Sports activities betting laws to convey on-line sportsbooks to the islands is headed for a particular legislative convention committee after the 2 chambers failed to seek out frequent floor. (Picture: Shutterstock)

Final week, leaders within the Hawaii Home of Representatives and Senate disagreed with their counterparts’ amendments to Home Invoice 1308 whereas the laws was thought-about of their respective chambers. Consequently, the 2 legislative our bodies are converging, the place a particular convention committee will try and iron out the variations.

Convention committees can not single-handedly move laws, however search to resolve variations between the Senate and Home and draft a measure of compromise for the legislature to vote on.

The Senate President and Home Speaker appoint members, or “managers,” to the convention committee. These members haven’t but been named, however they’ll include key stakeholders, together with committee chairs who oversaw the coverage dialogue up up to now.

Convention Objectives

The assigned convention committee will deal with two key points — cash and how one can shield Hawaiians, a lot of whom already fancy a wager both in Las Vegas or by means of unlawful means like underground playing hubs and offshore playing web sites.

For the monetary part, lawmakers have offered various licensing charges and tax charges for the potential on-line sportsbooks, for which a minimal of 4 licenses could be approved. HB1308 initially instructed charging every permitted sportsbook a $250K price each 5 years and taxing oddsmakers’ cash received from gamblers at 10%.

Home lawmakers stripped the licensing price and tax fee to garner sufficient help to move the invoice to the higher chamber. Senate lawmakers reimposed the $250K upfront price and the ten% tax.

These charges could be among the many lowest of the 39 states and Washington, DC, with sports activities betting statutes signed into regulation. Hawaii Rep. Sue Keohokapu-Lee Loy (D-Hilo), a member of the Home Finance Committee, stated the upfront charges and low tax wouldn’t be enough to cowl the federal government’s regulatory prices.

The sportsbooks themselves agree. A lobbying group representing the pursuits of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics instructed a extra acceptable price could be round $500K.

With this complete sum paid in 12 months one to cowl the five-year interval, we imagine that this sum will cowl the regulatory prices,” an legal professional representing the SBA testified earlier than the Senate Methods and Means Committee earlier this month.

Hawaii Lawyer Common Anne Lopez’s workplace opposes the legalization of sports activities betting on the assumption that such playing would consequence “in opposed societal impacts, excessive prices to deal with these opposed impacts, and elevated crime.”

Senate Methods and Means Committee Chair Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz (D-Mililani) agrees.

“With so many points dealing with our state, akin to lack of reasonably priced housing, homelessness, drug and alcohol dependancy, we must be targeted on addressing these actual points that influence our residents as a substitute of bringing in legalized sports activities wagering and playing that can exacerbate the issues already dealing with our neighborhood. Is the rise in tax income well worth the unfavourable influence on the lives of Hawaii residents?” Cruz requested. 

Odds Lengthy

With a lot disagreement standing in the best way, and the Hawaii Legislature set to adjourn in slightly greater than two weeks on Could 2, the chances at this level are seemingly not in sports activities betting’s favor. Of the 76 seats within the Honolulu capital, Democrats management 67.

Hawaii stays among the many most restrictive states within the nation, because it has no tribal or business casinos, iGaming, sports activities betting, parimutuel wagering, a lottery, or charitable gaming.