Hawaii lawmakers reject legalized gambling proposals again

Hawaii lawmakers reject legalized gambling proposals again

Article brief provided by Hawaii News Now
  • Daryl Huff, Hawaii News Now
February 8, 2023 9:47 PM
  • Daryl Huff, Hawaii News Now

Hawaii residents will watch another Super Bowl this weekend, unable to bet on the game using online services like Fan Duel or Draft Kings.

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An effort to legalize online sports betting at the Legislature did not pay off Wednesday morning and leaders said that was likely the first and last play for legalized gaming this year.

The sports gaming industry and supporters came in with the argument that thousands of people are already illegally betting on sports in Hawaii and so it would be beneficial to legalize it, regulate it and tax it.

Pat Gibbs, lobbyist for the Sport Betting Alliance, told the House Economic Development Committee that an Ernst and Young study for the industry estimated that, “276,000 people bet a combined total of $670 million in illegal sports wagers each year in Hawaii, using bookies or offshore sites on their phones and computers.”