Hawaii digital sports betting bill advances from Senate committee
Hawaii’s online sports wagering and fantasy sports contests bill, House Bill 1308, has advanced from the Senate committee after mixed testimonies from residents and groups within the state.
According to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, the Hawaii Senate Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and on Economic Development and Tourism advanced the bill last Thursday.
Supporters of the bill argue that it would bring new revenue to the state, helping to mitigate the rising cost of living.
Meanwhile, Rebecca London, the Senior Government Affairs Manager for online gambling platform DraftKings, submitted testimony that illegal sports wagering is already occurring in the state.
She wrote, “To create an effective legal market, legal operators must be able to compete with pricing from illegal, offshore sportsbooks that do not face the same taxation and regulatory costs.”
However, opponents of the bill have questioned the accuracy of state revenue estimates from online gambling.
Brandon Maka‘awa‘awa, the Vice President of the cultural advocacy group the Independent Sovereign Nation State of Hawaii, said that the figures had been less than predicted in other states.
Maka‘awa‘awa said, “West Virginia, despite legalizing sports betting in 2019, has only generated just US$20 million in tax revenue, and it began over five years ago at the same 10% tax rate that is being contemplated [here]. Gaming tax revenue is consistently lower than promised, while the cost remains high.”
Despite progressing from the Senate committee, the House Bill has one more committee to go to, the Ways and Means Committee, before it can be passed.
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