Hawaii Sports Betting

Sports betting is illegal in Hawaii, and changing that will be an uphill battle in a state with some of the strictest gambling laws in the country.

Online sportsbooks, casinos, pari-mutuel horse racing wagering, and daily fantasy sports are also illegal in Hawaii.

However, Sweepstakes sportsbooks accept Hawaii sports fans and offer an experience similar to sports betting.

Lawmakers introduce Hawaii sports betting bills every year, but none of them have made much progress. However, their efforts demonstrate some legislators have an appetite for change.

Legal Hawaii Betting Sites

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Hawaii Online Sports Betting Outlook

Legal Hawaii betting apps are likely still a long way off, but a growing number of legislators have signed onto bills that would legalize online sportsbooks.

Note: The closest alternatives to legal sports betting in Hawaii right now are Thrillzz Social Sportsbook and ProphetX, which operate on a sweepstakes model to offer a form of legal sports gaming with real-money payouts.

In early 2024, Representative Daniel Holt introduced a Hawaii online sports betting bill that progressed further than past measures when it received a YES vote in the House Committee on Economic Development.

Although died in the Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs Finance committees, it signaled progress in a state where most sports betting bills don’t even make it to a committee vote.

Had it passed those committees, HB 2765 would have moved to the Senate.

The bill sought to legalize online sports betting in Hawaii, establish a licensing process for operators, and give the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism regulatory powers.

Holt’s bill also sought to implement the following:

  • A minimum age of 18 to bet on sports in Hawaii
  • Allow sportsbook operators licensed in at least three jurisdictions to apply for Hawaii online sports betting licenses
  • An unspecified licensing fee and tax on revenue

Hawaii first began exploring sports betting in 2017 with the introduction of to form a commission examining the social and fiscal aspects of all forms of gaming, including sports wagering.

Even though that bill failed to gain any traction, it was just the opening salvo for Hawaii online sports betting.

In 2019, twelve representatives co-sponsored to establish the Sports Wagering Corporation to regulate online sports betting and retail sportsbooks.

 was vague on details such as tax rates or where sports betting would take place, but it provided a general look into what lawmakers envision for the market.

The bill also tasked the Sports Wagering Corporation to adopt the regulations covering various topics, such as:

  • Types of wagers allowed
  • The physical location where sports wagering may occur
  • Forms of payment accepted and prohibited
  • How wagers are graded winners or losers
  • Manner and time of payment
  • Responsible gambling
  • Conduct of the chosen sports wagering operator
  • The sports wagering platform
  • “Any and all other matters necessary” to ensure a successful sports betting operation

Hawaii sports betting efforts still face an uphill battle, but the odds are better today than ever before.

 introduced in early 2020 further bolstered that sentiment, even though both eventually died in the Senate.

State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim introduced SB 5959 in 2021 to establish a task force that would examine the feasibility of legalizing sports betting in Hawaii and make policy recommendations.

That bill died shortly after its introduction.

In 2022, State Rep. John Mizuno introduced  and State Rep. Chris Todd introduced  to legalize online sportsbooks.

The Mizuno bill proposed establishing the Online Sports Wagering Corporation to regulate sports betting, adopt additional regulations, and select operators.

Meanwhile, the Todd bill tasked the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to regulate and implement sports wagering.

HB 1815 was a step in the right direction for Hawaii sports betting proponents, but its 55% tax on all winnings paid to customers demonstrated that lawmakers still have some homework to do.

A 55% tax on winnings would have been untenable had the bill passed into law.

On the other hand, the bill also demonstrated that Hawaii lawmakers are aware that prohibition isn’t the answer.

In its opening statement, HB 1815 explained that tens of thousands of Hawaiians are estimated to bet online with illegal offshore sportsbooks not subject to US regulations or taxes.

Therefore, HB 1815 proposed legalizing and regulating online sports betting in Hawaii to protect consumers and collect tax revenue.

HB 1973 called for a more reasonable 10% tax on sports betting in Hawaii, but both bills died before making significant progress.

Since then, lawmakers haven’t introduced additional bills to legalize Hawaii sportsbooks or betting sites.

Hawaii Daily Fantasy Sports Apps

Hawaiians had access to daily fantasy sports sites until early 2016. In January 2016, then-Attorney General Dough Chin issued  stating daily fantasy sports apps in Hawaii constitute illegal gambling under state law.

Just a day after the AG’s opinion, lawmakers introduced legislation to legalize and regulate fantasy sports in Hawaii. The bill would have required Hawaiian fantasy sports operators to register with the state, pay a $25,000 registration fee, restrict access to anyone under 18, safekeep customers’ funds, and offer self-exclusion programs.

However, anti-gambling groups vigorously opposed the bill, and it died before becoming law.

Less than two weeks later, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro issued cease and desist letters to FanDuel and DraftKings. The letters read in part:

“This letter constitutes a demand that DraftKings and Fanduel immediately cease and desist from accepting wagers from residents of the city and County of Honolulu in connection with daily fantasy contests.

While DraftKings and FanDuel represent that their contests are games of skill because players select their lineups, Hawaii law specifically states that ‘a contest of chance means any contest, game, gaming scheme, or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contests may also be a factor therein.

Like lawmakers and law enforcement in close to a dozen states, I reject the notion that the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act exempts fantasy sports contests from state laws as it does not define what constitutes gambling. Hawaii’s gambling laws are clear and DraftKings and FanDuel are violating those laws.

FanDuel and DraftKings exited the Hawaii fantasy sports market a short time later. To this day, all mainstream DFS operators and fantasy pick’em apps restrict customers from Hawaii.

Hawaii Horse Racing Betting Sites

The Aloha States’ hostility to all forms of gambling also extends to horse racing betting in Hawaii. Pari-mutuel wagering is not allowed in Hawaii, and there are no active horse tracks in operation.

There have been several attempts to authorize pari-mutuel betting and horse racing in Hawaii over the years, but none have made it very far through the legislative process.

Bills introduced in , , , and  seeking to legalize pari-mutuel horse racing betting in Hawaii all failed to gain any traction.

There is clearly some demand for legal horse racing betting, but the anti-gambling contingent in Hawaii has successfully shut down all attempts to change state law on this issue.

Groups such as the Hawai’i Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (HCALG) remain steadfast in their opposition to any form of gambling coming to Hawaii, including horse racing betting.

A strong anti-gambling culture in Hawaii among citizens and lawmakers alike makes it unlikely horse racing betting will be legalized any time soon for Aloha State residents.

Hawaii Gambling Law

Hawaii is not home to any sportsbooks, casinos, poker rooms, bingo halls, horse racing tracks, or even a lottery.

In short, gambling in Hawaii is outlawed across the board, except for certain forms of social gambling in which the house takes no profit.

State law also prohibits participating in unlawful gambling as a player. Under , knowingly participating in “any gambling activity” is a misdemeanor offense.

Hawaii state law defines gambling as follows:

A person engages in gambling if he stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.

Hawaii interprets its gambling laws as applicable to online sports betting, online casinos, and daily fantasy sports, resulting in a lack of online gambling sites for Hawaii bettors.

As such, new legislation will be needed to authorize any form of Hawaii online betting.

Hawaii Online Gambling

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Online casinos and poker sites are not legal in Hawaii, although Sweepstakes casinos offer a similar casino-style experience.

There is currently little chance that Hawaii will change its stance on online gambling.

The closest pro-gaming lawmakers came to changing the situation were bills proposed in 2013 and again in 2017. The 2013 bill never got traction, and the 2017 bill suffered a similar fate.

The 2013 effort would have established the “Hawaii Internet Lottery and Gaming Corporation” to conduct, regulate, and license online gambling within the state.  presented a solid case for legalizing online gambling in Hawaii with the following text in its introductory paragraphs:

“The legislature also finds that tens of thousands of Hawaii residents are estimated to participate in illegal online gambling on unregulated internet web sites. These gambling web sites are operated by illegal offshore operators not subject to regulation or taxation in the United States. Questions often arise about the honesty and the fairness of the games offered to Hawaii residents, but neither federal nor Hawaii laws currently provide any consumer protections for Hawaii residents who play on these web sites.

Moreover, tens of millions of dollars in revenues generated from online gambling are being realized by offshore operators serving Hawaii residents, but no benefits are provided to the State. To protect Hawaii residents who gamble on the Internet, and to capture revenues generated from internet  gambling in Hawaii, it is in the best interest of the State and its citizens to regulate this existing activity by authorizing and implementing a secure, responsible, and legal system for internet gambling.”

The bill failed to gain support and died without further movement.

A 2017 bill introduced by Senate Vice President Michelle Kidani on behalf of Senator Will Espero sought to renew the online gambling debate in Hawaii.

 would have legalized online gambling, established the Hawaii Internet Lottery and Gaming Corporation, and permitted at least one authorized operator to hold online gambling games in Hawaii.

The odds of the bill passing into law were exceedingly low from the beginning, and the bill died.

Online gambling may make a third run in Hawaii at some point. The state does has a long anti-gambling history, but some lawmakers have shown interest in generating tax revenue via sports betting.

Hawaii Sports Betting FAQ

No. Lawmakers have tried a few times to legalize sports betting in Hawaii by introducing legislation to change state law, but their efforts have struggled to gain much momentum.

It’s possible, but it doesn’t look likely over the near-to-medium term. Hawaii has a long anti-gambling tradition, and past legislative efforts to legalize sports betting have met overwhelming resistance.

No. Hawaii prohibits sports betting in all its forms.

Several social sportsbooks that operate under US sweepstakes laws are available in Hawaii offer the closest alternative to legal sports betting.

DratKings is not currently legal in Hawaii.

FanDuel is not legal in Hawaii.

No, BetMGM is not legal or licensed in the state of Hawaii.