The iGaming industry in the United States just continues to grow, although most of that growth has come in the form of online sports betting. There are a number of states looking at trying to legalize online casino gambling in 2024, including a state that not many expected to consider this industry.
Hawaii is currently one of just two states that has banned gambling of any kind, but now that state is potentially looking into legalizing online casino gambling and sports betting. There are no card rooms or legal casinos in the state, but residents might soon be able to get into the action on a mobile device.
Some lawmakers in the state are currently working on a bill that would legalize iGaming, but there are still plenty of hurdles left to clear. Bills have been filed in both the House and Senate, and there isn’t much difference between the two of them.
There is one interesting clause in the bill from the House as it would allow for one single casino property to be built in the state of Hawaii.
No Major Market
While a bill to legalize online casino gambling and poker will benefit those interested in the state, it’s not expected to have a massive impact on the revenue stream in the state. Even though this is a popular tourist destination, there are just 1.6 million people that call the state of Hawaii home.
It would be hard to generate serious interest in online poker games as there wouldn’t be many people looking to compete in major events. This problem could be solved if Hawaii was willing to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement as it would join the likes of Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, and New Jersey.
Lawmakers are trying to appeal to the general public with some key pieces of the bill, and that could generate more support overtime. A large portion of the tax revenue would go to the state’s efforts to fight devastating wildfires.
This is not the first time that a bill similar to this has popped up in Hawaii, but this is the first time that things have been taken seriously.
State Wants to Cash In
Under the current bill that is proposed, only one iGaming operator would be permitted to offer games within the state. That would have to be a company that offers both online casino gambling and sports betting, and there are some good options out there.
The current plan from the Senate would call for the state to receive 70% of the profits in year one, but that revenue would decrease by 5% every single year. This language was used after lawmakers took a look at what has been done in some other states.
After wildfires devastated the state last year, the cost from that tragedy was up more than $5 billion, and that has lawmakers searching for answers. Legislators have also made it clear that residents of the state are using offshore betting sites to gamble illegally.
