Gambling Laws in Hawaii

Gambling is illegal in the state of Hawaii. There are no exceptions to this law at the moment, and the ban includes all forms of casino games, sports betting, lotteries, poker and fantasy sports. You will see that poker itself is legal within the state, but no bets are allowed to be placed on the outcome, and the game must not be played for money. This means that, along with Utah, Hawaii is one of only two states in the union that allows no forms of gambling.

While other states have made moves towards legalizing casino gambling and sports betting, the Aloha State shows no signs of moving to permit bets to be made on any events or games. Also, Hawaii is one of the few places in America currently that allows no form of daily fantasy sports or lottery. Read on to find out more about the laws for each type of gambling.

Hawaii Sports Betting

At no point in the history of the Aloha State has sports betting been allowed. The ban prohibits any land-based or online establishments from accepting sports bets of any kind. This is in contrast to the large number of states which accept certain bets, such as pari-mutuel betting on horseracing. There seems to be no suggestion that the legal situation will change in the future. If you want to read a bit more detailed information, take a look at our page about sports betting in Hawaii.

Hawaii Daily Fantasy Sports

Although there have been some moves to make daily fantasy sports in Hawaii legal, the State’s Attorney General, Doug Chin, confirmed in January 2016 that all paid fantasy sports constitute gambling and are therefore illegal in Hawaii. This means that there are no legal Hawaii daily fantasy sports sites at the moment. Any sites accepting players from the Aloha State should be regarded with extreme caution as they are not permitted to do so under state law.

Hawaii Online Casinos

Just as with all other forms of land-based or online gambling, there are no legal casinos in Hawaii. This is because all forms of casino betting are strictly illegal. As such, players based on the islands are not permitted to register or bet at sites, whether they are based in the state, in another part of America, or offshore.

Hawaii Poker

Although playing the game is legal, betting on poker is illegal in Hawaii. This ban also covers playing games of poker for money, as this is itself counted as gambling under state law. As with all other Hawaii gambling laws, there are no big moves to change this classification or allow legal poker gambling.

Hawaii Lottery

Hawaii is one of only six states in America that do not have a state lottery. The others are Alaska, Nevada, Mississippi, Alabama, and Utah. While most places in America use lotteries to fund state education and scholarships, the newest state has resisted some public pressure to make a lottery for these purposes. Instead, it is viewed as a form of gambling, and so is still not legalized. Head to our thorough Hawaii lottery review page for further details and information.

History of Gambling in Hawaii

As Hawaii did not join the union until 1959, it missed much of the ongoing changes regarding gambling that took place throughout the rest of the country during the early to mid-20th century. Below you can see some of the developments that have taken place over the years since it joined the union.

Hawaii State Facts

Although it may be the youngest member of the union, Hawaii has a rich and interesting history. Below you will find some interesting facts about the state as well as some links to useful websites such as the official site for the government of Hawaii and the tax authority.

Gambling Age in Hawaii

Gambling is illegal for all people in Hawaii, regardless of age. For your information, I have set out the different minimum age restrictions for drinking and marijuana possession as well. I will, of course, update these if anything changes in the state laws.

• Online Gambling Age:
  All forms of gambling are illegal at all ages in Hawaii.
• Alcohol Age
  The legal drinking age in Hawaii is 21+.
• Weed Age
  Marijuana is permitted for certain medical uses in Hawaii but is prohibited for recreational use.

Responsible Gambling and Addiction Prevention

Although you can’t legally gamble in the state, there are some estimates that suggest that more than 2,000 adults in Hawaii are problem gamblers. As such, national organizations exist which will help anyone who feels that their gambling is adversely affecting their health or life in general. You should turn to The National Council on Problem Gambling or Gambler’s Anonymous if think that you need help.

Upcoming Regulation and Expected Changes

There do not appear to be any changes likely in the legal state of gambling in Hawaii. There are a number of bills that have been submitted that would legalize some form of gambling if enacted. However, it does not appear to be likely that any of these will gain much traction. Instead, it is expected that these bills will be rejected outright, as have previous similar bills. Please feel free to check back on this page in the future as you will find any updates right here. In case you are looking for an alternative where the lottery and its online counterpart are legal, we suggest you take a look at our Kentucky lottery page, where the local committees have a different state of mind. For more detailed reviews and more information, check out our list of legal online gambling sites.

• Alaska
• California
• Washington
• Oregon