Hawaii sports betting inches closer with senate backing
Senate approves legislation to introduce sports betting and fantasy sports in the state with a 15-10 vote in favor, with the house now set to discuss a further set of amendments before governor approval
Hawaii has moved a step closer to introducing legalized sports betting after legislation was approved in the state’s senate yesterday, April 8.
House Bill 1,308, designed to legalize both sports betting and fantasy sports in Hawaii, passed by a vote of 15-10.
Hawaii’s Senate Ways and Means Committee voted through the legislation, although some members did so with hesitation.
The bill will now return to the House for approval. If successful, it will then be sent to Hawaii Governor Josh Green to be signed into law.
The proposal would allow for at least four online sports betting operators to obtain licenses in the Aloha State, in addition to the regulation of fantasy sports contests.
Operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM have previously been supportive of Hawaii’s efforts to legalize sports betting, submitting letters to the state legislature championing the benefits of legalization.
License fees for potential operators have been set at $250,000, with a tax rate of 10%, as per the original draft.
The tax rate would put Hawaii on par with the likes of Arizona and Colorado as having one of the lowest percentages in the US.
Following further amendments to the bill, sports betting in Hawaii would be overseen by the state’s Department of Law Enforcement, after the Department of Consumer Protection stated it did not have the resources to handle the task of regulation.
If signed into law, the legislation would take effect from July 1, 2025. Sportsbooks would then be able to accept bets from January 1, 2026.
The bill has previously faced opposition from some of Hawaii’s government departments including the Attorney General’s office and the state Department of Commerce.
Religious and anti-gambling lobby groups have also voiced their disapproval.
Currently, alongside Utah, Hawaii is the only US state without any form of casinos, horse tracks or a state lottery.
Should sports betting legislation pass, Hawaii would become the latest state to legalize sports betting since Missouri approved the vertical at the US presidential election last November.
Sports betting is legal in at least one form in 39 states and DC, with mobile sports betting legal in 33 states.
According to the US Census, Hawaii’s population is around 1.4 million people, larger than Delaware, which currently has a single monopoly operator in the shape of Rush Street Interactive.