Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii
- Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii Island
- Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii Right Now
- Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii Five-o
- Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii 5-0
When it comes to state gambling laws, it doesn’t get much simpler than Hawaii. They don’t allow it in any form.
So it should come as no surprise that sports betting is not legal in Hawaii at the moment.
The Aloha State has had a long history of anti-gambling laws, stretching back more than six decades. In recent years attempts were made to allow online poker and online casinos in the state but these ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Attorney’s Office in Hawaii is cracking down on illegal gambling operations in the state. The latest enforcement action includes five cases that resulted in charges against 15. Hawaii Gun Laws. Hawaii is a “may issue” state for concealed carry of firearms. Acquiring firearm requires a permit, issued to qualified applicants by the county police chief. There is a 14 day waiting period for receiving a permit, which is then valid for 6 days. A separate permit is required for each handgun to be acquired.
Gambling has never been a part of the state’s history, nor has it ever been seriously considered. Part of that has to do with the culture, as well as the successful tourism industry that dominates the political conversation.
So what do you do if you’re a sports bettor in Hawaii? Where can you place a legal bet? And will the current laws ever change?
This page is your complete guide to sports betting laws in Hawaii and on it, you can find everything you need to know. We’ll dig into the island state’s history of gambling, the current situation regarding sports betting and whether Hawaiians can expect anything to change in the wake of the landmark US Supreme Court decision of 2018 that opens the door for legal sports gambling all over the United States.
For more information on what’s happening all over the country, read our state guides to US sports betting laws.
The Current Online Sports Betting Situation in Hawaii
The current gambling situation in Hawaii is as cut and dry as it gets and it’s pretty grim. All kinds of gambling, including online sports betting, is fully prohibited and illegal. The only way people in Hawaii can bet on sports is by using unregulated offshore casinos and sportsbooks and that doesn’t come without risks.
Since these companies are based in other countries and not subject to US law or regulations, players frequently run into problems resolving disputes. If you have a problem with a deposit or withdrawal, or with your account, there is little recourse beyond crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.
We suggest waiting for legal options which, unfortunately, may take some time to make their debut in Hawaii.
Hawaii is one of two states (Utah being the other) that strictly prohibits gambling, including daily fantasy sports, racetracks and all types of sports betting. Additionally, the state doesn’t allow tribal casinos, charitable gaming, or any kind of casino gambling. Hawaii doesn’t even have a state lottery.
While recent federal legislation has opened the door for Hawaii to legalize sports betting in the state, the current outlook isn’t great.
The History of Online Sports Betting in Hawaii
Since the state’s inception in 1959, gambling has been illegal in Hawaii. Occasionally some momentum gets drummed up about opening a casino or legalizing online gambling, but no bill ever makes it far enough to be strongly considered.
In earlier times, when the Hawaii islands were first discovered in the late 18th century, gambling was popular amongst the residents and played yearly at a festival called Makahiki. However, just a few decades later, American missionaries arrived and decided to ban gambling in all forms for moral reasons. Since then the state has maintained its prohibitive stance on in-state gambling law and feels any changes to it might negatively impact their booming tourist industry.
In 2010 and 2011 Hawaii considered, but ultimately denied two casino-related changes. First, they discussed opening a land-based casino in Waikiki. Then they debated legalizing poker by virtue of defining it a game of skill rather than chance and therefore not gambling.
Just this year, in May of 2018, Hawaii and every other state in the US was given a huge opportunity to legalize sports gambling.
The US Supreme Court found in favor of New Jersey in their lawsuit to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. PASPA had been in place since 1992 and banned sports gambling in all states with the main exception of Nevada.
When SCOTUS repealed PASPA, each state was given the authority to decide their own rules for governing sports betting within their jurisdiction. Many states have already moved towards legalization with a handful already accepting legal bets.
For Hawaii, however, it may take some time to see any changes. One motivating factor may come in the form of other states earning large amounts of tax revenue after legalizing it.
Which Online Sports Betting Sites Are Legal in Hawaii?
Hawaiian gamblers do not have access to any legal sports betting sites. Their only option is to wager through offshore betting sites that accept players from the United States.
While betting with these sites isn’t technically illegal, it is risky. Offshore casinos and sportsbooks aren’t regulated by the US which can be a big problem if you run into any issues. Like we said before, even though legal gambling in Hawaii is a long way off, waiting is still preferable to putting your money and personal information at risk.
So, if you want to bet on NFL football, for example, Hawaii’s definitely not the place to be.
What Sports Can You Bet on Online in Hawaii?
As of now, there are no sports you can bet on legally online within the state of Hawaii.
However, if sports betting does become legalized in the future in the state of Hawaii, it would presumably be offered just like it is in every other state, with players having the option to bet on dozens of amateur and professional sports.
Should we ever see Hawaii reverse their political viewpoints on gambling it is likely that the main draw for sports betting would come from their passionate collegiate sports following and fan base.
Is There No Deposit Sports Betting in Hawaii?
Given that online sports betting is still technically illegal within the state, the issue of no deposit betting is currently moot. However, in the event that online sports betting becomes legal, Hawaiians can expect a similar approach to what other states are currently offering.
No deposit bonuses are a way to make bets without risking a cent but they usually come with conditions. Sometimes you have to bet the money a certain number of times before you can withdraw it. Other times you’re limited to what kinds of bets you can make and finally, it’s standard to only be able to withdraw your profits, not the original free bet.
What Is the Future of Online Sports Betting in Hawaii?
Gamblers in Hawaii shouldn’t expect any immediate changes to the laws that have been in place since the state formed all the way back in 1959. That being said, even with the state’s current attitude towards gambling, and with no current pressure for anything to change right now, history has shown that there is interest in gambling on the islands.
As more and more states begin to enter the world of legalized sports gambling, we might see the more conservative states like Hawaii change their tune.
If anything does change in Hawaii it will most likely occur after several others take the plunge and test the waters both economically and politically. They will likely follow Utah’s lead to see if they decide to consider the change.
To stay up to date on sports betting laws in Hawaii, make sure to check back on this page for the latest developments.
What This Means For You
Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii Island
At least in the short term, it doesn’t look good for sports betting or any other kind of gambling to become legal in Hawaii. With so much focus on tourism, no professional sports team and a relatively small population, the potential profits from legalized sports betting aren’t as attractive as other, bigger states.
For gamblers of Hawaii, life just goes on. In spite of an opportunity to now legalize gambling and begin collecting state tax revenue, Hawaii has shown no inkling to stray from its course, at least not yet. Getting a professional sports team may be the only way serious momentum could be created to bring this issue to a vote, but that still remains unlikely.
Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii Right Now
We’ll continue to monitor the situation and update this page with any big developments, whether they help or hurt Hawaii’s chances of getting legal sports gambling.
Hawaii resides in the murkiest of gray areas as far as gambling and real money Internet poker in 2020 is concerned. One of only a couple of states where gambling in land based casinos and poker websites is completely prohibited, the Aloha State is also one of 10 states currently making a push to regulate real cash live betting and legal Internet poker and casino gambling.
Due to HI State’s high tourism rates, a live gambling and lawful poker betting industry, letting gambling fans play popular games like Texas Hold’em poker for real money, would certainly thrive. Legit Internet poker gambling websites opening are a different story, as most tourists will not visit the tropical island just to sit around in their hotel room clicking buttons on real money poker websites.
It seems as though Hawaii will continue flirting with the idea of regulated real cash Internet poker and other iGaming gambling in 2020 and for the foreseeable future. Whether headway will be made leading to the opening of actual legal poker betting websites is currently an uncertainty.
Go ahead and say “Aloha” to online gambling at a real money US poker site. Having some fun making wagers on the virtual green table is completely legit, but you still need to know the best sites of 2020.
Hawaii’s Multiple Attempts To Legalize Internet Gambling Fail
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Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii Five-o
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The crux of the proposal in HI stated that gamblers over the age of 18, who are able to verify their identity and are currently situated in Hawaii, would be able to gamble online at casinos and lawful poker websites. Ultimately the real money Internet betting bill failed to gain headway.
In 2013, a similar Internet gambling bill – this one co-sponsored by three State Senators, was introduced [2]. In addition to the aforementioned constituents, SB 768 would disallow operators that accepted real-money bets for Texas Hold’em poker and other poker games in the US prior to Black Friday from setting up shop in Hawaii. Also, it would permit Hawaii to enter into interstate Internet poker compacts with other states. But it too failed to find its footing among Hawaii’s legislators.
Can Players From Hawaii Play Online Poker?
Real cash poker players from the Aloha State are welcome at virtually all US-friendly poker websites in 2020. But given the wealth of poker websites currently available to Hawaiians, figuring out which Internet poker destinations are the best to do your real money poker betting at can be a disjointing experience.
Luckily, we’ve taken most of the guesswork out of the equation by first thoroughly reviewing each US-facing legit poker website, and then listing the very best real money Internet poker websites just for you. Consider it our way of guiding you to winning a pile of real money at the Internet poker tables!
- U. S. Poker Site
- Compatibillity
- Editor Rating
- Deposit Bonus
Is There Legal Gambling In Hawaii 5-0
- Very player friendly
- Generous cashback
- Great mobile play
Is Online Poker Legal In Hawaii?
While online poker and Internet poker betting is not specifically addressed by Hawaii’s gambling statutes as they stand in 2020, overall HI state takes a fairly intolerant approach to real cash poker and gambling activities, evident by its status as one of only two states that prohibits all forms of regulated, legal poker gambling.
That being said, the vast majority of Hawaii’s laws in 2020 are targeted towards poker website operators, and overall Hawaii is generally hospitable towards those who gamble socially by betting a bit of their hard earned real money on poker games like Texas Hold’em on poker websites.
To fully grasp the breadth of Hawaii’s gambling statutes, we first turn to the definition of gambling according to the state of HI:
A person engages in gambling if he stakes or risks something of value, including real money, upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or someone else will receive something in the event of a certain outcome. Section 712-1220(4)
Like so many other definitions of gambling and betting, Hawaii’s position provides very little insight as to what constitutes a contest of chance and whether offline and Internet poker count as a game of chance. Upon further investigation we were able to deduce that:
A contest of chance means any contest, game, gaming scheme, or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein.
Section 712-1220(3)
Although Hawaii’s gambling laws do not explicitly define the parameters of the Material Degree test, generally speaking it states that if a game features an element of chance, even if skill is the predominant factor in determining a winner as it is in real money poker, the game is still ruled a contest of chance. Given this, there’s little reason to believe that Internet poker gambling for real cash does not fall within the scope of Hawaii’s definition of gambling.
The only penalty clause that applies to players is Section 712-1223 Gambling. It states:
A person commits the offense of gambling if the person knowingly advances or participates in any gambling activity. Gambling is a misdemeanor.
Comparatively, Internet poker operators offering gambling fans poker websites to play at are hit with harsher repercussions. Should a poker website operator generate any sort of significant real cash income from taking bets, they can be subjected to a class C felony. Lesser operators, such as those who run a raked home game of Texas Hold’em poker, would be subject to the same punishment as gambling players – namely, a misdemeanor.
Hawaii’s statutes do make a notable exception for social gambling and real money poker betting in 2020, in so long as players compete on equal terms and that no player receives, or becomes entitled to receive, anything of value or any profit, directly or indirectly, other than the player’s personal gambling winnings. The HI law goes on to state that all poker players participating in social gambling must be of legal gambling age, and that the activity of legal poker betting take place in a private place.
The legality of online poker is questionable and legit Internet poker is not a clear cut thing. Considering that real money poker players who play online only reap the Internet poker rewards of their personal gambling winnings, and generally log on to poker websites from their own homes, it is conceivable that from the player’s perspective, logging onto an offshore site and playing real money Internet poker is perfectly acceptable, and therefore Internet poker is lawful. And while we can’t say for certain, we do know that Hawaii lawmakers have not been going particularly out of their way to prosecute online players playing at Internet poker websites in HI.
For more on Hawaii’s general gambling and poker betting statutes, please visit the “References” section [3].
The Facts
The History Of Gambling In Hawaii
Before Hawaii was even discovered in 1778, natives of the Aloha State could be found gambling and betting it up during the Makahiki Festival. With the colonization of the island came reform, and by the time the Americans reached Hawaii, real cash gambling faded in popularity.
Gambling in legal horse racing remained popular among locals through the 1950s, and at one point as many of twelve real money gambling tracks littered Hawaii’s numerous islands. But horseracing would also eventually fall out of favour in HI.
The overwhelming influence of Mormons and devout Christians has resulted in Hawaii’s lack of casinos and real cash poker rooms in 2015, and while many attempts have been made to open a land-based casino, they have all been met with heavy resistance and anti-real money gambling sentiment.
Regulated Gambling Options In Hawaii
Simply stated, there are none. There is nowhere you can play legal real cash poker in HI. Again, this may change in the coming years, but until then, Hawaiians have to resign themselves to gambling on real money poker socially.
The Future Of Regulating Online Gambling In Hawaii
Shockingly, Hawaii stands an above average chance of regulating online gambling and real money Internet poker, or at the very least online poker websites.
Whereas most states have yet to weigh in on the iGaming and legal Internet poker issue, Hawaii’s legislators have already proposed two bills relating to real money poker websites. And while the bills ultimately failed, they prove that there is a growing contingent of Hawaiians in favor of Internet betting and poker gambling websites becoming regulated in 2015.
However, even if a future iteration of an iGaming bill were to pass in HI, it would take some time for the first virtual casino and Internet poker websites to open their doors, for several reasons. The first is that there is currently no legal Internet poker oversight committee in place. Secondly, Hawaii’s stipulation that pre-Black Friday real money poker website operators are unsuitable would severely diminish the amount of companies that could form an alignment with Hawaii. And finally, there are no land-based casinos or real money poker betting destinations for iGaming operators to latch onto.
Fun Facts
In 2015, Hawaii is listed among 10 US states currently considering a movement to legalize online gambling and create legal poker websites for HI residents to start real cash betting on [4].
In June 2010, Hawaiian poker professional Michael Chow won the WSOP $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo event. Chow was only the second Hawaiian in WSOP history to win a real money poker bracelet. Sweetening the deal, Chow won the famous poker gambling event on the dawn of his 33rd birthday. His victory was good for $237,463. Chow has final tabled a multitude of other prestigious real cash poker events in his professional career.
The Bottom Line
Hawaii’s paltry 1.3 million population and isolated location will work against the Aloha State’s ability to host a thriving Internet poker community and offer top quality legal real money poker websites. However, if it were able to forge interstate gambling compacts with say New Jersey, the state’s gorgeous climate would likely attract professional real cash Internet poker grinders, ultimately transforming Hawaii into an online gambling hub and the go-to-destination for serious real money legal poker players. Wishful thinking, but anything’s possible for HI in the world of Internet poker.
For now in 2020, expect any proposed iGaming and Internet poker bill to meet with a sea of resistance. It’s very likely that two, three or even ten more iterations of the current proposal may be necessary before lawmakers finally come to terms on the issue of real money poker websites. But it may very well happen, which is great news for Hawaii’s real cash poker gambling fans – just not anytime soon.
References
[1] ↑Department of Justice Shifts Stance on Wire Act, Replies to Reid/Kyl Letter
[2] ↑Hawaii Proposes Online Gambling Bill
[3] ↑Hawaii State Legislature
[4] ↑Study: 10 states, including Hawaii, eye Internet gambling bills
See Also:
- Our homepage – for a list of the Best US poker sites
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