Hawaii inches closer to legal sports betting as bill heads to Senate
Hawaiian lawmakers’ efforts to get online sports betting legalized on the island have seen the House Bill 1308 pushed forward. The state is known for its total ban on gambling, with only Utah joining it.
Bill 1308 will allow for the “regulation of sports wagering” by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT). It’s faced opposition from different groups, including natives, who see the potential for more debt and issues to rise from gambling.
Filed by Democrats Dan Holt, Chris Todd, and Darius Kila, it has now passed and will head to the Senate after a 35-15 vote. However, it might not be such an easy bill to pass. The Senate has previously deferred a similar bill, SB 1569, which would also allow for the regulation of sports wagering in Hawaii.
It would have also established the “Problem Gambling Prevention and Treatment Special Fund”. This program has been pitched in the new bill too, along with specifications to not include “legal sports wagering and fantasy sports contests” as part of the gambling ban in the state.
Another part of the proposed regulations would also to provide background checks on those trying to get a license. The DBEDT would “perform criminal history record checks” according to the bill.
Hawaii sports wagering opposition call bill “a turd”According to LegiScan, HB 1308 is now at 50% progression. Should the Senate pass the bill, it could mean massive changes to Hawaii going forward.
In oppositions written by various bodies and people, a letter by John Otto said, “A turd is still a turd”. However, company DraftKings, which specialises in sports wagering, wrote in to support both 1308 and 1569, citing that the potential for gambling issues currently only affects 2% of the population – or 25,000 people according to DraftKings.
It’s not known exactly what date the bill will be heard in the Senate yet, but the next few months will be worth watching as US spending increases on sports wagering.
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