The long-running fight over whether Hawaii should legalize gambling officially moved to center stage at the Capitol this week, as a new state tourism and gaming working group kicked off a months-long review that could reshape the debate. From the opening gavel, the room broke into two clear camps: law enforcement and prosecutors warning about crime and addiction, and developers and industry voices talking up jobs and tax revenue.
The Tourism and Gaming Working Group held its first meeting Thursday in a Capitol conference room, a session described by officials as a fact-finding mission rather than a vote to change any laws, according to Hawaii News Now.
