Hawaii Sports Betting Bill Passes Senate; Now Faces Conference Committee
Hawaii will be saying “aloha” to sports betting legislation in 2025, but it is suddenly unclear if that will mean hello or goodbye.
Last week, the Hawaii Senate passed a bill to legalize and regulate sports wagering and fantasy contests in the Aloha State.
Rep. Daniel Holt’s House Bill 1308 yielded a 15-10 vote in the Senate, with amendments returned to the House for concurrence. The House did not concur with the changes, though, meaning a conference committee will be needed to hash out any differences.
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Hawaii sports betting would break barriers
Only two states have no forms of legal gambling: Hawaii and Utah. This includes casinos, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, pari-mutuel wagering and lotteries.
HB 1308 looks to change that, aiming to legalize sports wagering and fantasy sports. Under the bill, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs would regulate these industries and issue at least four sports wagering operator licenses.
Applicants would need to be qualified gaming entities, and those selected would need to pay a $250,000 licensing fee. Hawaii sports betting licenses would be valid for five years, with the department also potentially charging an additional processing fee for the initial licensing fee and subsequent renewal fees.
Additionally, the department would set a universal start date for Hawaii sports betting, which would need to occur within 180 days of the bill becoming law. Operators would pay a 10% tax rate, with a portion going to a state problem gambling prevention and treatment fund.
A breakthrough after several failed attempts
Previous attempts to legalize sports betting and casinos have met enough opposition to thwart proponents’ efforts. Opponents often cited concerns related to crime, addiction, problem gambling behaviors, and other societal harms as the main reasons for speaking out against gambling.
HB 1308 broke through and was the first sports betting bill to pass a committee in Hawaii since 2019. Gov. Josh Green has said he would support gambling legislation with the proper safeguards.
Other lawmakers, such as House Republican Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto, expressed similar sentiments as they supported Holt’s bill. Matsumoto has historically opposed bills to legalize sports betting in Hawaii.
Holt and Sen. Donna Mercado Kim cited additional concerns about gambling activities already occurring on the Hawaiian islands. Rather than continue sending those activities to illegal bookies and offshore websites, Hawaiian sports betting proponents say they aim to regulate the industry, making it secure and creating additional revenue streams for the state.
50th state would become No. 40 for sports betting
Should it clear the final hurdles, Hawaii would become the 40th US state to legalize sports betting in some fashion. Given that it has no other gambling, Hawaiian sports betting would be online, with no kiosks or physical locations to place wagers or collect winnings.
Missouri became the 39th state to legalize sports betting, which it did via a ballot initiative in November 2024. Its sportsbooks will go live by Dec. 1 at the latest.
If the legislation passes, Hawaii sportsbooks would likely aim to go live sometime this year, too. If signed into law, HB 1308 would take effect on July 1, with an established launch date set within 180 days.
