Hawaii Rejects Bill to Legalize Online Sports Betting

“We put our best effort forward, we got it very far this year, this deep into conference, but it seems as if we have not come to agreement on details: the tax amount who would operate, would house the operation of the sports betting and give out the license and licensing fees,” said state Rep. Daniel Holt.

“It is what it is, and we just got to work harder next year, try to answer the questions that the rest of the members and the public has and see if we can capture this tax revenue that we much need for our state.”

Supporters still applauded the progress and creation of a working group of law enforcement, government, tourism and industry experts who will study legalizing gambling in the state.

“There’s never been a bill that went this far in gaming,” said Cliff Laboy, a lobbyist representing T. George Paris and the Hawaii Ironworkers Stabilization Fund. “Get the task force, go out there, find out, study, do your due diligence, come back, go back to the table and figure out which way you want to go. But Hawaii needs something like this. There’s no other way... unless the legislators can come to the general public with a plan on how we’re gonna bring new money into the state.”

Those who opposed the measure felt the cost and risk outweighed the benefits.

“If you bring in online gambling, you’re opening a Las Vegas casino in every home, every bedroom, every dorm room, every office that has an internet connection in your state,” said Les Bernal, national director for advocacy group Stop Predatory Gambling. “This is the 5th state in America this year that said no to expanding online gambling because they’ve seen happen to other states and it’s been a public policy disaster.”

“It’s more prudent for us to do the resolution and the study first than it is to just pass the bill,” said state Rep. and minority leader Lauren Matsumoto, who added that she and other lawmakers who opposed the measure were flooded with constituent calls.

“Once you have that toehold, that leads to the foothold that could lead to casinos here in Hawaii so I think it’s important for us to tread cautiously because once you open that up so there’s no taking it back.”