Hawaii Sports Betting Bill Advances From House to Senate

• HB1308 legalizing online sports wagering in Hawaii advances from the House to the Senate.
• The twin bill, SB 1569, was deferred on February 26.
• This is the most progress Hawaii has ever made toward legalizing online sports wagering.

HONOLULU – The Hawaii House voted 35-15 in favor of sports betting bill HB 1308 on Tuesday, as the measure moves onto the Senate for consideration.

This is the closest Hawaii has gotten to joining the large group of states with legal sports betting in the last decade. It is one of seven states looking to create a locally regulated industry.

As written, House Bill 1308 states that the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs would regulate online sports betting in Hawaii as well as iGaming in the state. The 35-to-15 vote means that HB1308 will now be reviewed by the Senate, which has also been exploring the legalization of gambling.

Its companion, Senate Bill 1569, was deferred during its public hearing; however, the odds are still looking good for the Aloha State to regulate legal sports betting because of how much progress HB1308 has made.

Who Voted Against Hawaii Sports Betting Bill HB 1308?

There were 15 representatives who stood their ground to vote against sports betting expansion. Those Hawaii reps were:

• David Alcos (R-41)
• Della Au Belatti (D-26)
• Diamond Garcia (R-42)
• Andrew Takuya Garrett (D-22)
• Tina Grandinetti (D-20)
• Kim Coco Iwamoto (D-25)
• Lisa Marten (D-51)
• Scot Matayoshi (D-49)
• Lauren Matsumoto (R-38)
• Chris Muraoka (R-45)
• Amy Perruso (D-46)
• Julie Reyes Oda (R-40)
• Garner Shimizu (R-32)
• Gregg Takayama (D-34)
• Shirley Ann Templo (D-30)

News tags: Hawaii | HI HB 1308 | HI SB 1569 | Honolulu