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A bill to allow casino gaming at two tourist destinations on Oahu has emerged from a Hawaii Senate committee and is awaiting a public hearing. Although more deliberation is ahead before the legislation could come up for a vote in the full Senate, the bill has some influential ers.
The measure is just one of several gambling-related bills in the Hawaii legislature and like many of the others, narrowly focuses on one aspect of gaming. While that creates the potential for expansion as debate ensues, in Hawaii, history is not kind to any of these proposals.
SB 893 makes some headway
On Feb. 6, the Hawaii Senate’s Consumer Protection & Commerce (N) and Economic Development & Technology (EDT) and Commerce committees amended and then recommended age of SB 893.
The bill would change the state code to make certain forms of gambling expressly legal. That gaming, however, would be limited to in-person play at two locations on Oahu; the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District and the Hawai’i Convention Center.
The legislation establishes a Hawai’i Gaming Control Commission to issue licenses for each of those locations. The measure also creates a state gaming fund for a 15% tax on revenue from those casinos.
Part of those proceeds would go to a Compulsive Gambler Program. With the amendments, the bill is now under reconsideration in the aforementioned committees as well as the Senate Judiciary and Ways and Means committees.
There is a t hearing of the N and EDT committees on Feb. 13. SB 893 is on the agenda for that meeting.
SB 893 is not the first or only gambling-related bill in the Hawaii legislature for 2025. SB 893 specifically and the broader concept of gambling expansion does have current proponents in Honolulu.
Influential legislators on board with gambling legalization
During the Feb. 6 hearing for SB 893, Sen. Glenn Wakei was among the committee who not only voted in favor of the bill but also spoke favorably about it as well according to Alina Lee of KHON2. That is important because Wakei is the Senate’s Majority Floor Leader and has sway over which proposals will be brought forward for votes.
Similarly, Senate President Ron Kouchi has filed a companion to House Speaker Nadine Nakamura’s gambling bill. Their proposals, HB 1434 and SB 1507, could conflict with SB 893 in some ways but appropriately worded amendments to either bill could resolve those conflicts.
The same goes for other gaming bills currently under consideration in Honolulu:
- HB 1308 — legalizes online sports wagering
- HB 1466 — establishes a regulated charitable card room in Hawaii
- SB 1569 — companion to HB 1308
While from Kouchi, Nakamura, and Wakei among others carries weight, Hawaii has traditionally been one of the most unfriendly states for gaming interests. Previous attempts to legalize gambling have failed to even clear committees, much less actually see votes from full chambers of the legislature.
These proposals in 2025 could break that precedent but much deliberation remains before those decisions will be made. If nothing else, 2025 will represent a little progress in getting legislative leaders behind gaming in Hawaii.
