Latest news with #HB1308
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No online sports gambling coming to Hawaii, bill deferred
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Online sports gambling won't be coming to Hawaii anytime soon. A bill that would have made it legal died in the state legislature April 25, the last working day of the session. HB1308, introduced by Rep. Dan Holt, would've made online sports betting legal. Bill aimed at inflation could make shoreline development easier with no public say 'We just haven't come to an agreement on the details with number of operators, tax rate, fees and those kinds of things,' Holt said. 'And there's still some kind of questions left unanswered by some of the members who have concerns about sports betting.' The big question is the estimated $10 to $20 million in revenue gambling could bring in, worth the problems associated with it like crime and addiction.'It's a good chunk of money,' Holt said. 'It wouldn't fix all our problems, but it is a sizeable amount of money that we could've had to address some of our issues.' 'This is the fifth state in 2025 that said no to expanding online gambling,' said Les Bernal, Stop Predatory Gambling national director. 'Because other states have seen the harm, both financial harm and public health harm that predatory gambling has inflicted in the states that have legalized online gambling.' Sen. Lynn DeCoite introduced the senate's version of the bill. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'For me, I was asked to introduce that, introduce the bill, which is why it brought a lot, it brought a lot of information,' DeCoite said. 'People came out and then like when I go home, a lot of people I talked to were like 'you know we should have gambing.' I'm like 'well where are you when we're testifying.'' DeCoite says she's actually against legalized gambling. Although these bills started a good dialogue, they're putting the cart before the horse, and the state should have a working group first to understand all the potential effects before making gambling legal she said. 'I think it is where it should have been–right here dead,' DeCoite said. 'So that we can come up with the right information to make better sound decisions on whether this is what the community wants.' Gamblers know there's no such thing as a sure bet. But gambling supporters say there's one thing that is guaranteed–they will fight for legalized gambling again next year. 'Do you think sports gambling will ever be legal in Hawaii? You know, we'll give it another try next year and we'll see how it goes,' Holt said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
10-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Reports: Hawaii bill on sports betting clears senate hurdle
April 10 - Hawaii moved closer to potentially legalizing online sports betting, after House Bill 1308 passed the state's Senate, several outlets reported Wednesday. The bill has sparked much debate, yet has continued to march toward becoming law. The Senate voted 15-10 to approve an amended version of the bill on Tuesday, with four of the votes tallied "with reservations." Those amendments included operator restrictions, taxation devoted to responsible gambling initiatives and payment/fining particulars, per Casino Reports. That outlet also outlined tax revenue estimates might have been inflated by lobbyists, as quoted figures were higher than income taken in by states with larger populations. BetMGM and DraftKings, among others, testified in favor of the bill. For the bill to become state law, HB 1308 must still pass Hawaii's House of Representatives then be signed into law by Governor Josh Green. Observers are unclear on Green's preferences should the bill land on his desk. Hawaii would be an unusual circumstance, as the state would enter the gambling regulatory process with an inexperienced regulator and no existing gambling framework to speak of, per reporting from Thirty-four states have already legalized online sports betting, along with the District of Columbia, according to the American Gaming Association. Forty states have some form of legal sports betting as of Feb. 27. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
