Sports Betting Bill in Hawaii on Hold
Legislation aimed at authorizing sports betting has failed to pass.
This year, a sports wagering bill in Hawaii won't be turning into law.
The final blow, House Bill 1308, met its demise on Friday afternoon, thanks to a House-Senate conference committee.
If passed, this legislation aimed to legalize online sports betting in the Aloha State, taxing it at a tidy 10%.
"Reaching a compromise is a Herculean task," mused Rep. Greggor Ilagan, a Puna Democrat, who led the House committee. "Given the current impasse, we've got a House and Senate standoff. Our goal is to hammer out differences and introduce a more robust bill during the next legislative session," he declared.
Sen. Lynn DeCoite, a Democrat from Maui, Molokai, and Lanai, concurred: "Sounds good to me."
And with that, Ilagan placed the bill on ice until next year.
The brainchild of Rep. Daniel Holt, an Oahu Democrat, in partnership with Rep. Chris Todd, a Hilo Democrat, the bill garnered support from various labor unions, online sports wagering services like DraftKings and BetMGM, and the trade organization, Sports Betting Alliance.
On the flip side, it faced opposition from the state Office of the Attorney General, the Honolulu Police Department, Boyd Gaming, which manages 28 casinos across 11 states and also operates Vacations Hawaii, serving over 1.5 million Hawaii residents with affordable direct flights to Las Vegas since 1996.
Regardless of the outcome, next year's legislative session is shaping up to be a fascinating show. Stay tuned!
Key Insights
- Current Status: With a deferral by a House-Senate conference committee, House Bill 1308, proposed to legalize online sports betting in Hawaii, is unlikely to become law this year.
- Reasons for Deferral: The bill faced challenges in attaining a compromise between the House and Senate versions. The Senate-approved amendments, including a 10% tax rate and $250,000 license fees for sportsbook operators, were not agreed upon in the conference committee.
- Opposition: The bill met resistance from the state Office of the Attorney General, the Honolulu Police Department, and Boyd Gaming, which opposes gambling expansion, including sports wagering. However, the bill had support from various labor unions, online sports wagering services, and the trade organization, Sports Betting Alliance. Gov. Josh Green has expressed openness to gambling legislation with proper safeguards.
- The proposal to legalize online sports betting in Hawaii, known as House Bill 1308, has been delayed due to disagreements between the House and Senate versions.
- Despite gaining support from various labor unions, online sports wagering services, and the trade organization, Sports Betting Alliance, the sports wagering bill has faced opposition from the state Office of the Attorney General, the Honolulu Police Department, and Boyd Gaming.
- A compromise between the House and Senate versions of the bill, which included a 10% tax rate and $250,000 license fees for sportsbook operators, was not reached by the House-Senate conference committee.
- With the deferral of House Bill 1308, the bill will not become law this year. The next legislative session is expected to be a fascinating show as lawmakers aim to reconcile the differences and introduce a more robust bill.
