Several gaming bills are up for debate in Hawaii’s legislature. However, the controversial casino bill was recently shot down in the Senate and put on the shelf for at least another legislative session.
Impassioned Pleas
Hawaii is one of two states where gambling is illegal, and it appears it will stay that way, at least as far as casino gambling is concerned. SB 893 was proposed to bring two casinos to Hawaii, and earlier this month dual committees, including Hawaii Senate’s Consumer Protection & Commerce (CPN) and Economic Development & Technology (EDT), both recommended passage of the bill with slight amendments.
Casino profits were to be taxed at 15%, with locations being established at the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District and the Hawai’i Convention Center, with the Hawaii Gaming Control Commission governing oversight and regulation of the industry. A Compulsive Gambler Program would also receive some of the proceeds collected by the state.
Several vocal proponents of the bill were eager to express their thoughts on the topic, and, as it often does, sports betting and overall gambling elicited a range of passionate opinions from lawmakers and citizens alike.
Revenue vs. Responsibility
Proponents like Senator Glenn Wakai stated, “Considering that we kind of all joke in this community about how Las Vegas is the Ninth Island, this approach is to bring that Ninth Island back home, to bring the revenues back up, to bring the excitement of casino gaming to Hawaii.”
“Gambling is happening in our community, kind of in the dark alleys and in some closed quarters. By having it out in the open in a casino, all of those poker parlors that are the scourge of many areas… those will have just no reason to exist,” Wakai added.
However, Senator Brenton Awa had a decidedly different viewpoint, saying, “All of the people who are going to spend their paycheck every couple of weeks with that hope of trying to win— it’s known that when you have access easily to lose your money, you’re probably gonna lose your money if you’re not disciplined.”
Senate Committee Says No
The fact that Senate Bill 893 made it out of two committees shows there is some progress being made in bringing gambling to the Aloha State. However, when push came to shove, the legislature indefinitely deferred the bill, meaning no casino gambling is in Hawaii’s future, at least for now.
The end of the road came swiftly at the Senate Committee on “Economic Development and Tourism” meeting on Thursday. Despite enthusiastic support from some legislators, the pushback at the committee meeting was fervent by spokespeople at the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Department of the Attorney General and the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney.
The main points of opposition were the prospects of increased crime, increased gambling addiction and the social and financial tolls it could take on residents. Historically, Hawaii has been averse to gambling of any kind, even eschewing a state lottery that could reap hundreds of millions of dollars for social projects and its educational system.
State Senator Lynn DeCoite pointed out the social and cultural hurdles of getting gaming legislation passed, saying, “Casino gambling has not always been a favorite subject. Regardless of if we are flying to Vegas or flying to any other place, we’ve always had our challenges here in Hawaii.”
