Hawaii Online Casinos

Hawaii Online Casinos

Online casino, other than sweepstakes (real money casino)

Online gambling is still not legal in the state of Hawaii. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s illegal or punishable by law. How is that even possible?

Well, when it comes to laws, legality is defined as official permission to perform a certain act, according to existing legislation. Illegality, on the other hand, is seen as an explicit mention of a certain act, with the goal of highlighting that said act is punishable by law.

The situation gets tricky when something isn’t even mentioned in the state’s legislation, which is the exact case with online gambling in Hawaii. It’s one of the strictest states when it comes to all sorts of games of chance, but there are signs that the situation might be improving.

Rep. Michelle Kidani proposed SB 677 in 2018, but this bill pertaining to iGaming was quickly shut down. While Hawaiian law still bans most forms of gaming, there are talks about potential legalization before 2030.

Currently, you cannot get in trouble for playing at online casinos, nor has anyone ever gotten in trouble for doing that in Hawai. Even though there aren’t any sites officially licensed by the state, you can still choose from a number of other US sites and a plethora of brands from abroad.

Hawaii’s law defines gambling extremely broadly, so that any type of betting and gambling can be, if need be, placed within these definitions and restrictions. There is also mentioning of a gambling device and the definition of it is broad enough to cover just about anything, in the hands of a dedicated lawyer. However, no one has ever been prosecuted in Hawaii for online gambling and the players themselves should be least concerned.

There have been attempts to submit bills that would open the doors of regulating online poker, but these were swiftly killed off before there was any chance of serious debate. It is highly unlikely that the situation in Hawaii will change anytime soon. The state seems content with a no-gambling landscape and only a drop off in tourism could lead to any change in perspective. We all know that will not happen as Hawaii is seen as a paradise on Earth, a tropical destination for family vacations, a pretty much anyone who wishes to get away from daily stresses.Gambling in Hawaii:

Gambling History

Since Hawaii joined the United States in 1959, the anti-gambling attitude has only grown stronger. Much like Utah, Hawaii remains one of rare US countries without any popular form of legalized gambling within the state. This is somewhat ironic, as every once in a while the newspapers write about big busts (seizure of gambling machines, a sports-betting ring getting busted etc.). This tells us that the appetite for gambling in the Island State is not extinguished - it’s just the heavyweight legislation that stands as an insurmountable obstacle that prevents gamblers from enjoying their passion.

Hawaii has no lottery, no horse races, sports betting, or even bingo. It would be logical to expect gambling on cruise ships at least, but even that form of betting is not allowed. When it comes to gambling, Hawaii has an uncompromising community and uncompromising laws. Nothing goes. The anti-gambling attitude in the Island State stems from the conviction that the area would suffer a significant loss of income if it used its gorgeous land for building casinos instead for tourism. Too bad this shatters many people’s dreams about experiencing a perfect gambling vacation across the Hawaii beaches.

Land based casinos

Authorities of Hawaii strictly prohibit any gambling activities in the state. The laws do not only cover casinos, gambling events and venues, but also locals and homeowners - it is illegal to own slot machines, for example, even if it’s for display or collection purposes only. The only form of gambling that takes place in the Island State is social gambling, but with extensive restriction involved. The entity (a house or an individual organizer) hosting social gambling events must not earn any profit from it, not even from selling drinks or food.

The social games included in these activities are poker and sometimes craps. There are companies which offer casino entertainment services - they organize casino-themed parties where people play casino games such as craps, roulette, blackjack and Let it Ride with pretend money.

If people from Hawaii with to gamble at proper brick and mortar casinos, they need to travel to some of the following destinations: Northern Mariana Islands (gambling facilities on the island of Saipan and in San Jose on the island of Tinian, cruise ships), as well as California or Las Vegas. There are no casinos that are 30 minutes away - some of the best options for Hawaiian gambling enthusiasts are actually an ocean away.

Top Hawaii Casino Slots and Games

References

[1] Online gambling - are players at risk of prosecution?

[2] American Gaming Association - https://www.americangaming.org