Online Gambling in Hawaii: Quick Facts
- Legal Hawaii online gambling options? N/A
- Legal gambling age: N/A
- Who regulates Hawaii online gambling? N/A
- Legal mobile gambling? No
- Do I need to be physically located in Hawaii to gamble online? N/A
- Do I need to be a resident of Hawaii to gamble online? N/A
- Sports available to bet on: None
A Brief History of Hawaii Online Gambling
Hawaii online gambling is currently illegal. Hawaii became a state in 1959, and it entered statehood with strict laws against gambling in place. There was some horse racing that took place before Hawaii joined the United States. However, that form of betting went away prior to the colony becoming a state.
In 2010 there was a bill introduced to potentially set up a committee to look at adding casinos, but that bill quickly died out. Two years later, another bill attempted to explore online casino gambling, but that also went away quickly.
There have not been any recent bills introduced, and it doesn’t appear that there is a real desire from lawmakers to do so. Hawaii is also a state that hasn’t been getting a ton of pressure from companies in the gambling industry.
Hawaii Online Gambling: The Current Law
As mentioned above, the current laws in Hawaii prohibit any form of gambling in the state. It isn't that the state is technically opposed to gambling, but there simply hasn’t been any real attempt to change the laws.
There are other issues that are more important in the state, and the topic of legalizing gambling just hasn’t come up.
Legal Online Sportsbooks
There are no online sportsbooks available in the state, and it will likely remain this way for a long time. Even though a majority of states in the US now have some form of sports betting in place, Hawaii has not even considered exploring this industry.
If sports betting were to launch, it would likely be done on a very limited basis. This state has no history with gambling, and it’s hard to envision Hawaii becoming a large sports betting market.
Sports Betting in Hawaii
Sports betting has actually succeeded in small states throughout the US, and that is the model that Hawaii would have to follow. There aren’t any professional states in Hawaii, and this isn’t a state that is known for its sports.
Betting on football would likely dominate the market, especially when it comes to the NFL. The other professional sports would help bring in some business as well.
If the industry were to launch in Hawaii, here are some of the top betting options that you would see:
Legal Online Casinos
Hawaii has banned all forms of casino gaming, and that includes online casino gambling. There aren’t any land-based casino properties operating in Hawaii, and that would make launching online casinos a much tougher process as well.
It does make sense that Hawaii would allow online casino sites to launch before a casino property was built. There are other forms of tourism that bring in revenue in Hawaii, and the state doesn’t want to hurt those businesses.
Legal Online Poker in Hawaii
Even though there technically doesn’t have to be any online casinos to offer online poker, Hawaii doesn’t allow this form of iGaming either. Online poker has been a discussion a few times by lawmakers in the state, but those discussions did not get very far.
Hawaii does allow residents to play social poker games, but there are strict laws in place against poker games for money. This is a punishable offense in Hawaii, and it is an area that is enforced.
How to Set Up a Hawaii Online Gambling Account
If and when a Hawaii online gambling site launches, you will be happy to know that creating an account is a very easy process. You could access one of these new sites and have your account created in a matter of minutes.
Online sites will first ask for some basic personal information, and this will be used to verify your identity. You might be asked for your social security number during this process, and it is acceptable to provide that information to the site.
The next step will be to create a username and password, and you will use this information to access the site each time. You will want to choose a username and password that you will remember, but pick one that is unique to you.
After you have gained access to the site, the next step is to make your first deposit. This can be done by visiting the banking portion of the site, and using one of the many deposit methods that you will see listed.
If you are looking to add some additional safety and security to your account then you can take advantage of a two-step verification process that is usually offered by most online gambling sites.
Hawaii Banking Methods
If online gambling sites launched in Hawaii, then customers would quickly see how impressive the banking methods are at these online sites. The entire iGaming industry has focused on improving the banking process, and new methods continue to be introduced.
Not only do the sites have a large number of deposit methods available, but the sites have also improved the payout process. These online casino sites recognize that it is your money, and want to get your winnings to you as quickly as possible.
Here are some of the top banking methods you will see at online casino sites:
- PayPal
- Neteller
- Credit/Debit Card
- Online Bank Transfer
- ACH/eCheck
- Prepaid Card
The Future of Online Gambling in Hawaii
There is not much hope for optimism when it comes to online gambling in Hawaii, but that could always change in a hurry. Hawaii was a state that was hit hard financially by the COVID-19 pandemic, and gambling could help lessen that burden.
The United States does have some favorable gambling laws now in place, and that could help Hawaii change its state laws at any time. Online gambling will likely come to Hawaii at some point in the future, but it won’t be anytime soon.
