Legal Hawaii sportsbooks are nearing reality after the state Senate approved a legalization bill Tuesday. The proposal faces several additional steps before passage, but Tuesday’s vote clears one more significant hurdle before legal betting can begin.
Key insights
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Hawaii's sports betting bill passed the Senate and awaits final House approval, potentially making it the 40th state to legalize wagering, with a deadline for sportsbooks to launch by Dec. 31, 2025.
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The bill proposes an online-only market with no in-person sportsbooks, and major operators like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics should seek licenses under a low-fee, low-tax structure.
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Implementation may face delays due to lack of existing gambling infrastructure, but Hawaii plans to use regulatory models from other states to guide the process, with the Department of Law Enforcement handling regulation.
If passed, Hawaii would be the 40th state to approve legal sports betting. It would join Tennessee, Wyoming, Maine and Vermont as the only states with live legal mobile wagering but no in-person sportsbooks.
What happens next for Hawaii sports betting?
The bill the Senate passed was amended from the version the House approved. This requires the House to approve the changes before the bill can clear the full legislature.
The changes the Senate approved included taxation and regulatory language the House will likely agree to. This improves the bill’s chances of passing.
The House could take up the proposal on the full floor as early as Thursday, though a vote may not come until later this month. The 2025 Hawaii legislative session is set to conclude May 2, meaning any bills must pass by that date.
Though the framework for sports betting legalization passed both House and Senate, opposition remains. Some lawmakers in both chambers expressed concern legal sports betting would spark gambling addiction and other societal ills.
Hawaii and Utah are the only states without a state lottery, commercial casino or parimutuel horse racing track.
Assuming the House agrees to the Senate changes, and makes no alterations of its own, the bill goes to Gov. Josh Green to be signed into law. Green indicated in an interview with Hawaii’s ABC affiliate earlier this week he was inclined to sign the bill.
When would sports betting begin?
The bill the Senate passed requires sportsbooks to take bets by Dec. 31, 2025. The earliest books could begin accepting wagers is July 1 of this year, but it's logistically impossible for them to do so.
All states that approve legal sportsbooks must also implement regulations for operators and key employees. This includes licensing procedures, financial disclosure requirements and background checks.
These regulators must also determine which events books can offer. For example, some states allow betting on Olympic events and smaller foreign sports leagues while others have stricter restrictions.
This process typically takes between six to nine months from bill passage to first bet in most other legal betting states. Assuming Hawaii passes the legislation by early May, a Dec. 31 launch would set up a standard launch timeline compared to most other states with legal wagering.
Hawaii's sports betting legalization bill would require sportsbooks to start taking bets by Dec. 31, 2025; If passed, it's possible Hawaii could jump Missouri (which approved sports betting in November 2024) to become the 39th state to take a legal bet
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) April 9, 2025
Hawaii sportsbooks may go live before that date. The quickest turnaround in any state was about four months, making a launch before the 2025 pro and college football seasons kick off unlikely.
Hawaii’s sportsbooks would be under the state Department of Law Enforcement's purview. The state has no legal gambling offerings, so there's no gambling-related regulatory body such as a racing commission, gaming commission or lottery commission, or other organization that oversees gaming in most other states.
This unfamiliarity could complicate licensing efforts. Hawaii does have access to more than three dozen other regulations in other legal sports betting states which could help guide the process.
Which sportsbooks will be in Hawaii?
FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Fanatics are the most likely sportsbooks to go live in the Aloha State. The quartet lobbied for the bill and will likely seek sports betting licenses.
Unlike most other legal sports betting states, Hawaii’s proposed law requires a minimum number of sportsbooks, not a maximum. The bill as written would require four books to receive licenses.
Though the four aforementioned operators are the most likely to apply to take bets, they probably won't be the only ones to do so. Other major national brands including Caesars, ESPN BET, bet365 and BetRivers could also seek market access.
Most states have tied sports betting licenses to existing brick-and-mortar gaming establishments such as casinos or horse tracks. Since Hawaii has neither, this means a more open market.
No requirement to partner with another gaming establishment could spark more interest in the state. Though it is one of the least populated jurisdictions, Hawaii has one of the U.S.' highest per capita income rates due to its high cost of living.
The proposed regulatory structure calling for a $250,000 license fee and 10% tax on gross gaming revenue are also among the nation's lowest rates, additional factors that could attract sportsbooks.
