Hawaii Sports Betting Bill Dies on Final Legislative Day, Maintains State’s Gaming Prohibition

Posted on: April 26, 2025, 09:22h. 

Last updated on: April 26, 2025, 09:22h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • Hawaii sports betting legislation is dead for 2025
  • Hawaii nearly legalized its first form of gambling
  • Opponents cited possible increased gambling problems

Hawaii will remain clear of legal sports betting and all other forms of gambling for at least another year.

Hawaii sports betting legislation
The Honolulu skyline is seen from the lookout atop Diamond Head State Monument. Sports betting will remain illegal in Hawaii for another year after lawmakers failed to reach a compromise on sports betting bills passed by the House and Senate. (Image: Shutterstock)

If you could have bet on the outcome of House Bill 1308, legislation to authorize, regulate, and tax online sports betting in Hawaii, most sharps would have bet on the island state not sending the statute to Gov. Josh Green’s (D) desk for ratification.

Hawaii lawmakers have unendingly deliberated gaming bills in nearly every legislative session over the past decade to no avail. However, what seemed like a sure thing before the Legislature convened in Honolulu that no gaming bills would find favor, the odds shortened considerably as HB1308 made its way through the House of Representatives and Senate.

Both chambers ultimately passed HB1308, though the many changes each body imposed led to a special conference committee assembling to try and find common ground. On the final day of the 2025 session, the committee revealed its hand — no compromise had been reached. 

Gaming Remains on Hold

Though Hawaiians will need to wait at least another year to place a legal sports bet, HB1308 advancing nearly to the finish line is a major rallying point for gaming supporters.

There’s never been a bill that went this far in gaming,” said Cliff Laboy, a lobbyist who fought to get HB1308 passed. “Get the task force, go out there, find out, study, do your due diligence, come back, go back to the table and figure out which way you want to go. Hawaii needs something like this. There’s no other way unless the legislators can come to the general public with a plan on how we’re going to bring new money into the state.”

Senate and House lawmakers differed on what sort of tax rate and licensing fee should be enforced on sportsbooks. They also disagreed on whether qualified Native Hawaiian organizations, as determined by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, should be given special treatment in the bidding for online sports betting concessions.

The deadlock means Hawaii remains free of any form of legal gambling. Along with sports betting, Hawaii does not have or allow tribal or commercial casinos, parimutuel wagering, lotteries, charitable gaming, fantasy sports, iGaming, or racinos.

Gaming Foes Celebrate

The Legislature’s regulatory differences weren’t the only reason HB1308 failed. Many state lawmakers opposed the bill on concerns that legal sports gambling would escalate problem gambling rates and create societal harms.

State Rep. Lauren Matsumoto, the Republican Minority Leader, said a comprehensive study regarding sports betting should first be completed.

It’s more prudent for us to do the study first than it is to just pass the bill,” Matsumoto said, adding that she heard from many constituents in opposition of the measure. “Once you have that toehold, that leads to the foothold that could lead to casinos. I think it’s important for us to tread cautiously, because once you open that up, there’s no taking it back.”

Les Bernal, among the nation’s foremost anti-gaming lobbyists who leads the Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation, said allowing sports betting in Hawaii would open the floodgates to gambling.

“If you bring in online gambling, you’re opening a Las Vegas casino in every home, every bedroom, every dorm room, and every office that has an internet connection,” Bernal said. “This is the fifth state this year that said no to expanding online [sports] gambling because they’ve seen what happens to other states.”

“It’s a public policy disaster,” Bernal concluded.