A key Hawaii legislative committee advanced a mobile sports betting legalization bill Wednesday, a major step to bringing legal wagering to the state.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee voted to advance the bill, though several members did so “with reservations,” underscoring the political uncertainty remaining for the bill. Still, Wednesday’s vote is a major step for legal betting in the state and brings it closer than ever to passing.
Hawaii and Utah are the only two states without any form of casinos, horse tracks or a state lottery.
The vote comes after the House passed the bill out of multiple committees and by a roughly two-to-one margin before the entire floor. The bill now must pass through the full Senate.
Hawaii sports betting background
The Senate has previously been less supportive of legal Hawaii sports betting than the House, but the vote Wednesday in the powerful Ways and Means Committee, after it advanced from the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection last month, is an indicator the bill has the votes to pass the full Senate.
Along with some of the nation’s leading sportsbooks, Hawaii union groups have been among the biggest backers.
Legal sportsbooks are projected to generate around $20 million in annual taxes for the state, a small portion of the state budget, but supporters argue would still befit state education efforts and other public services.
The bill was opposed by several Hawaii governmental bodies including the Attorney General’s office and the state Department of Commerce. A host of religious and anti-gambling groups also opposed the bill, arguing that societal issues caused by legal gambling would outweigh any benefits.
Boyd Gaming, a Nevada-based casino company that operates roughly a dozen gaming properties in Las Vegas, also opposed the bill. Hawaii residents are projected to generate several hundred thousand visits to Las Vegas annually.
Vegas is considered the 9th island. Who wants to share the wealth with Hawaii, not Las Vegas!! https://t.co/NW4ZemzI6k
— Chris Maathuis (@sports8) April 2, 2025
The version that passed the House was amended in the Senate, requiring the full House to agree to the changes. An identical version of the bill must pass both chambers before it can pass into law.
Hawaii sports betting bill details
If passed in its current form, eligible bettors physically located in Hawaii would have access to a minimum of four sportsbooks.
BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics have been among the leading supporters of the Hawaii sports betting bill. These national operators would be among the likeliest companies to pursue a license.
Hawaii has one of the nation’s smallest populations but highest median incomes, a factor that could attract other national brands. Among the likeliest other sportsbooks include Caesars, BetRivers, and ESPN BET, all of which have pursued an aggressive state-by-state expansion strategy.
The bill has a licensing fee of $250,000 and a tax on 10% of gross gaming revenue, respectively. Those figures would put Hawaii among the lowest of any jurisdiction with legal sportsbooks.
The first sportsbooks would be required to start accepting bets before Jan. 1, 2026. There would be one universal go-live date for all licensed books.
If passed, Hawaii would join 39 other states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico among jurisdictions to approve some form of legal sports betting. It would join a handful of states with legal mobile options but no in-person books.
