Hawaii’s Sports Betting Bill Hits Snag as House Rejects Senate Plan

A Stalled Push for Legal Betting

The Senate had passed the bill 15-10, paving the way for regulated betting with a $250,000 license fee and 10% tax on gross revenue.

But House lawmakers balked at the Senate’s tweaks, leaving the bill in limbo. Now a conference committee in Honolulu has until May 1 to sort it out before the legislative session wraps.

The House’s no vote wasn’t the only snag. Senators also nixed House changes to other bills, deepening the rift. HB 1308, which could bring $10-20 million in annual tax revenue, aims to tame Hawaii’s unregulated betting scene while protecting players.

Gov. Josh Green’s neutral but open, eyeing funds for projects like Aloha Stadium’s rebuild, but with the House and Senate at odds, bettors can only check the sidelines for now.

What the Bill Proposed

HB 1308 packed a solid framework: at least four online sportsbook licenses, a $250,000 fee for five years, and $10,000 for service providers.

Oversight would shift to the Department of Public Safety, since the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs waved off the job, saying it wasn’t ready to handle betting rules.

The Senate’s version filled in blanks the House left open, like license fees and tax rates, hoping to lock in a deal.

Not everyone’s on board. The Sports Betting Alliance, repping firms like BetMGM and DraftKings, pushed for heftier fees, $500,000 for operators, and $20,000 for providers, to cover regulation costs. The House’s draft dodged hard numbers, signaling room to haggle. Meanwhile, Hawaii’s Attorney General flagged risks, citing studies linking sports betting to crime and social woes.

The Senate’s push for Public Safety oversight and set fees didn’t vibe with the House’s looser draft, which left rates TBD. The split sent HB 1308 to a conference committee. Lawmakers from both chambers have until May 1, 2025, session’s end, to hammer out a compromise. If they don’t, the bill dies, joining Hawaii’s long list of failed gambling tries since 2018’s PASPA repeal.

Green’s the wildcard. He hasn’t promised a signature but sees dollar signs, $20 million could juice state projects.