Up until Feb. 26, Hawaii looked like the best chance any state would have this year to legalize digital sports betting. But two days after Hawaii’s House Finance Committee moved its bill to the floor, a Senate committee deferred its version.
There was no discussion in the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection/Ways and Means Committee. But there was plenty of written opposition. Dozens of state agencies, problem and responsible gambling advocates and individuals voiced concern. It was the same testimony heard in previous committees in both chambers.
And while multiple House committees moved HB 1308 forward with reservation, the decision on that side of the legislature was to continue the discussion. HB 1308 was amended before it passed – the tax rate, originally set for 10 percent – and the licensing fees were removed. There was much discussion during the hearing about how many tax dollars the state stands to gain.
In offering the amendments, Committee Chair Kyle Yamashita said he thought the bill was worthy of continued discussion and that the committee should advance it “as a work in progress.”
“We do have to bring up gambling, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing to talk about,” he said.
In addition, Rep. Sue L Keohokapu-Lee Loy said the $250,000 license fee “appears rather low for an industry that makes billions of dollars. I would love to see that licence fee go up exponentially.”
The Senate did not agree.
