Hawaii sports betting legislation is taking a detour on its surprise journey toward legalization, with a chance the progress could fall apart.
After the Senate passed HB 1308 last week with amendments, the House chose not to concur with the Hawaii sports betting legislation Thursday. The legislation now will head to a conference committee to iron out the disagreement.
Hawaii’s legislative session runs until May 1. If the conference committee does not reach an agreement, this year’s surprise sports betting legislative story will fall short.
Hawaii sports betting language
Rep. Daniel Holt’s original proposal included a 10% tax rate on sports betting revenue and license fees of $250,000. A House committee stripped those figures out of the legislation to spur further discussion and debate, potentially to raise the rates.
The blank language helped move it along through the House. In its last Senate committee stop, lawmakers added the initial rates to the legislation before the Senate passed it.
Holt’s legislation would set up a market of at least four sportsbooks.
Sports betting Cinderella story
Hawaii is one of two states without any legal form of gambling. Entering the legislative session, the Aloha State was a long shot for legalization.
Previously, sports betting legislation had only passed one House committee before losing steam. This year, however, discussion heated up, and committees advanced Holt’s legislation, although many did so “with reservations.”
Multiple state and municipal departments, including the state attorney general, testified against the proposal.
Governor open to signing the bill
Gov. Josh Green has indicated he would support the bill as long as lawmakers include adequate protections.
Much of the testimony in support of the legislation centered on the existence of illegal gambling sites in Hawaii. Holt said regulating the market would help make consumers safer.
“The risk is already out there,” Holt told KHON 2. “People already have access with their phones, and we’re just putting it into a legal market. Currently, with the illegal market, there are other illegal things that go along with it. The odds are different. Your odds of winning may be less.
“So, at least if we put it into a legal regulated market, the consumer has more of a fair shot to have a chance at winning. Also, we would have education to let people know that this is not a career choice. This is a form of entertainment.”
