Is Gambling Legal In Hawaii
Gambling Laws in Hawaii Gambling is illegal in the state of Hawaii. There are no exceptions to this law at the moment, and the ban includes all forms of casino games, sports betting, lotteries, poker and fantasy sports. Hawaiian law takes a simple and clear position on gambling: None is legal in the state. As a result, the definition of gambling employed in state becomes very important. The definition of gambling (Section 712-1220 (1)) is a pretty standard one and involves any bet of something of value upon what the law calls a “contest of chance.”.
Hawaii Gambling Laws And Statutes. Hawaii and Utah are the only two US states that have not regulated any form of gambling. Hawaii is very unfriendly towards gambling and does not permit its residents to wager real money or anything of value on the outcomes of games. The law states in no uncertain terms that gambling is not permitted in Hawaii. Gambling is defined as risking something of value in a contest of chance, and a contest of chance is defined as any game in which chance plays a material role, regardless of whether skill is also involved.
ByThere are only two states out of the 50 in America with no legalized gambling: Utah and Hawaii. The former has a deeply religious population and happily maintains its exception from the gambling culture of the United States. Hawaii, however, has abstained from joining the industry because of the precarious status of an island nation that depends on tourists for its sustainability.
But even Hawaii, with its pristine beaches and unique culture, has taken to considering gambling in the past several years in order to handle budget deficits and ever-increasing costs of living. While land-based casino establishments remain largely off the table in any discussion, some members of the legislature have given some consideration to online gambling.
However, no concrete steps have been taken to allow gambling in Hawaii in any form. And further, in late 2017, it seems that law enforcement is cracking down especially hard on underground gambling.
Latest Crackdowns
As gambling becomes more pervasive in various aspects of society on a global basis, Hawaii is not isolated from the trend. That makes the island state even more focused on its image as a tourist destination and eager to keep gambling from tainting its shores.
Honolulu authorities claim there are as many as 100 illegal gambling establishments on Oahu, at present, and the police have been instructed to increase enforcement tactics to break up those games. Raids have taken place at numerous locations within the past month, with more scheduled in the coming weeks. The largest of late was in August with 20 raids handled in one night.
Major Larry Lawson of the Honolulu Police Department’s criminal investigation division told a local reporter, “Game rooms affect people of all ages and social economic levels. We sometimes hear people say that gambling is a harmless form of entertainment; however, we know that game rooms are often the hubs of illegal activity such as drug dealing, robberies, assaults, and homicides that have been associated with game rooms.”
More than 35 people have been arrested thus far in recent weeks on a variety of charges. Landlords allowing gambling in their buildings and people who work at the gambling dens could face felony charges, while people caught as customers in the raids face misdemeanor charges.
Brief Flings with Gambling
Every few years, some legislators get together to drum up support for casinos in Hawaii. They see the casino industry as a way to earn more revenue for the state as well as bringing more people to the islands, especially those from Asia-Pacific countries who could choose Hawaii over Macau or Las Vegas. Many Hawaiians also make numerous trips to Las Vegas each year, so much so that an entire hotel (The California) and many stores in the Downtown LV area cater specifically to them with special food offerings and other Hawaiian specialties.
The overwhelming majority of legislators and Hawaiians tend to oppose the idea altogether, though, so bills never have much momentum or chance of passage.
Efforts to Legalize Online Gambling Explained
There has been talk of legalized online gambling in Hawaii as recently as this year. It had little chance of moving through the legislature, however, and it died early in the year.
Hawaiian State Senator Will Espero was the one to introduce SB.677 in January 2017, which was worded to legalize and regulate online gambling. A Hawaii Internet Lottery and Gaming Corporation would be established to oversee the industry and open the possibility of launching a lottery for Hawaiians. Espero’s intention with the bill was to collect revenue for the state’s coffers as well as to protect customers who are currently gambling on unlicensed, black-market sites.
Text of the iGaming bill dropped last Friday in Hawaii can be found here. https://t.co/JngQLOPv7R
— PokerPlayersAlliance (@ppapoker) January 23, 2017
Unsurprisingly, the bill showed no signs of life after its introduction, most likely due to the history of anti-gambling sentiment among legislators and islanders alike.
While online gambling and lotteries are more likely to be considered by the Hawaiian legislature than land-based casinos, none are in the cards in the short term. Hawaiians are acutely aware of the state’s image, history, culture, and need to maintain all of those things on a long-term basis. In their view, to allow gambling to infiltrate the daily lives of its people would jeopardize Hawaii’s integrity.
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Hawaii is one state with no casinos, and does not allow any form of gambling. Utah is the other. Bingo is not even allowed. This includes charitable purposes. With no Hawaii gambling available, it is still great for tourists.
Hawaii is not anti-gambling, it simply does not want to compete with Las Vegas and other bigger gambling vacation spots. Most tourists do not go on vacation to Hawaii with the thought of gambling. Hawaii casinos would simply take money out of the local economy and be mostly funded by residents of the islands. There are services residents and tourists can use, like casino party and event centers. You can play casino games, but there is not real betting or money exchanged. Below you can use our Hawaii casinos map of services.
Hawaii does not allow casino cruise ships to operate from their state. Even though most states without gambling allow cruise ships to operate. Cruises that originate or end in Hawaii may not possess commercial gambling devices, including electronic casino games. Hawaii casino gamblers must go to the mainland to get any kind of gambling action.
Hawaii Casinos Map of Event Services
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Types of Online Hawaii Gambling Allowed
Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii
There are no forms of legal online gambling in Hawaii, including online casino gambling. Daily fantasy sports are not even legal. Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin announced in January 2016 that daily fantasy sports were illegal in the state. Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro followed this up by sending cease-and-desist orders to FanDuel and DraftKings, ordering the two sites to stop accepting action from players in Oahu. DraftKings immediately complied with this order, something that shocked the daily fantasy sports industry as the site typically ignores these demands and challenged them in court.
Types of Live Hawaii Gambling
There are no forms of live gambling that are legal in Hawaii. The closest thing to it is home poker games. Bars may offer poker tournaments as long as there is no buy-in.
There are no Hawaii casinos on any of the islands. This is due to the fact that most tourists do not go to Hawaii looking to gamble, but rather enjoy any of the other amenities that the state has to offer. On top of this fact, Hawaii does not want to compete with the larger states where gambling is expected and anticipated when tourists travel to those locations, like Las Vegas.
Hawaii Gambling Laws
Hawaii gambling laws are serious about not legalizing any forms of gambling. Promoting gambling in the first degree and possession of gambling records are both Class C felonies in Hawaii. Most other crimes in Hawaii gambling laws are considered misdemeanors. Hawaii gambling law defines gambling as a person staking or risking something of value upon a game of chance or upon any future contingent event not under the person’s control. Any material degree of chance is considered a wager under state law.
Most states without casinos permits boats to operate gambling as long as they go into international waters. Hawaii does not allow any casino cruise ships to do this. Any cruises that originate or conclude in the Hawaiian Islands are not permitted to possess gambling devices.
Where to Gamble in Hawaii
There is no gambling in Hawaii. Any Hawaii casino gamblers looking for these types of games must catch a flight to the mainland. The most popular destination is Las Vegas, Nevada.
Those that want the experience of playing casino games while in Hawaii can find these services. There are plenty of Hawaii casinos services, like party and event centers that offer the games, without the real money gambling being involved.
History of Gambling in Hawaii
Gambling has never been a part of the culture in Hawaii. Some racetracks operated in the country before it joined the United States. There have been no forms of gambling in Hawaii since it became the 50th state in 1959. There have been few attempts to change this. One exception is online poker. A handful of Hawaii Assembly members tried to legalize online poker starting in 2008. This went on for six years until the effort proved to be futile. No attempt was made in 2015 or 2016.
Daily fantasy sports sites operated in Hawaii until 2016. In January of that year, Attorney General Doug Chin and his office released an opinion that stated daily fantasy sports is illegal.
“Gambling generally occurs under Hawaii law when a person stakes or risks something of value upon a game of chance or upon any future contingent event, not under the person’s control,” Chin said in a statement at the time. “The technology may have changed, but the vice has not.”
DraftKings left the Hawaii market within days. This was only the second time DraftKings obeyed an order from a state attorney general. The other state was Nevada. On the other hand, DraftKings decided to fight attorneys general in New York and Illinois. It is believed that DraftKings did not feel the Hawaii daily fantasy sports market was worth fighting to save due to its size. Football, baseball, and basketball are not nearly as popular in Hawaii as they are in most other states. The time zone and great weather are thought to be reasons for the lack of interest in sports in the state.
Hawaii Casinos & Gambling FAQ
There are currently no casinos in Hawaii due to strict gambling laws.
Casinos are not legal in Hawaii.
There is no legal gambling in Hawaii. It is one of just two states without any forms gambling. Utah is the other.
No. Only ships that temporarily dock in Hawaii may offer gambling. Cruises that begin or end in Hawaii may not.
Lotteries are illegal in Hawaii.
Is Gambling Legal In Ohio
Daily fantasy sports sites are considered to be illegal in Hawaii.
Are There Casinos In Hawaii
Are Bovada, BetOnline or Winning Poker legal in Hawaii?
Is Gambling Legal In Hawaii Five-0
Is Gambling Legal In Hawaii State
These sites and others like it are not legal in Hawaii.