is sports betting legal in hawaii?
No. There have been several Hawaiian lawmakers who have proposed bills to change the laws around sports betting in the state, but none have been successful. Most recently, there was hope that Rep. Daniel Holt’s House Bill 2765 could spark change, but it died in March of 2024. In May of 2024, lawmakers agreed to commission a study on the impacts of legalized sports betting in Hawaii and some believe that could be a stepping stone toward legalization. This page is where you can find the latest on any new sports betting bills in Hawaii and obviously if sports betting is legalized in the state, we’ll give you all the details in this space.
Hawaii quick facts
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Launch Date: Not Legalized
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Legal Betting Age: n/a
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Online Sports Betting: No
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Online Casino Sites: No
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Online Poker Sites: No
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Best Available Sportsbook: N/A
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Regulatory Body: American Gaming Association
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Legal online sportsbooks: 0
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College Sports Betting: No
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Political or entertainment betting: No
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High School sports Betting: No
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Esports betting: No
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NFL Draft: No
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Remote registration: No
timeline of betting legislation & latest news
Over the years there have been several attempts by lawmakers in Hawaii to legalize sports betting, but every time the bills have failed to gain traction. Most recently, House Bill 2765 died on March 7, 2024, but lawmakers have promised to study the impacts of sports betting on the state and there’s hope that’ll be the first step toward legalized sports betting in Hawaii, perhaps by 2026.
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january 27, 2016
Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin clarifies that Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) contest wagers are considered sports betting and thus illegal in the state.
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may 14, 2018
U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), paving the way for each state to legalize sports betting.
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january 22, 2021
Senate Bill 595 (SB 595), a sports betting bill which sought to establish a task force on sports betting, is introduced but dies in committee.
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january 26, 2022
House Bill 1962 (HB 1962) is introduced to allow for casino gambling and sports betting, but ultimately dies
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january 24, 2024
Rep. Daniel Holt introduces House Bill 2765 (HB 2765), which would provide the guardrails for legalization of online sports betting throughout Hawaii
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february 7, 2024
The House Committee passes HB 2765 by a vote of 5-2
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march 7, 2024
This was the last day for bills to “crossover” to the opposite legislative chamber and HB 2765 failed to do so which effectively killed the bill
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may 2, 2024
Lawmakers in Hawaii commissioned a study to examine sports betting in the state
USA Betting News
How to start betting in hawaii?
Unfortunately, sports betting is not legal in Hawaii and that includes Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) operators like FanDuel. Sports fans in Hawaii have gotten their hopes up a couple times over the years, but ultimately legalized sports betting efforts have failed.
There is some hope that sports betting could be legalized in Hawaii as soon as 2026 and if that happens, this space is where you’ll find all the details you need to place your first wager. Consider bookmarking this page and checking back for updates.
Daily fantasy sports in hawaii
There are no legal Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) options in Hawaii as lawmakers clarified their stance on DFS contests in 2016. If anything changes with the laws in Hawaii, we will update this page, but that’s not expected this year.
Home field advantage
Hawaii used to host the Pro Bowl and there are plenty of NFL fans in the state. Hawaii doesn’t have its own NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB team, but they tend to pull for teams in California because of the state’s proximity to the islands. Of course, the University of Hawaii is popular throughout the state and fans are accustomed to seeing the Rainbow Warriors field competitive basketball and football teams.
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NCAA – University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: The University of Hawaii’s football team hasn’t played in a bowl game since 2020, but there are tons of loyal Rainbow Warrior supporters throughout the islands. Hawaii last fielded a ranked football team in 2010 under coach Greg McMackin, and current head coach Timmy Chang would like to do the same. Hawaii’s men’s basketball team last made the NCAA tournament during the 2015-2016 season, but they’ve put together winning seasons seven times in the eight seasons since then.
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NFL – San Fransisco 49ers: The 49ers winning ways over the years have captured the hearts of sports fans in Hawaii. While there are some Hawaiin fans of the Raiders, Chargers, and Rams it definitely seems like you see more red and gold in Hawaii. The 49ers have lost three Super Bowls since 2012 and have been consistently fielding competitive teams recently under head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers offense is one of the most entertaining in the NFL and features Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel.
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MLB – Los Angeles Dodgers: It makes sense that Hawaiin sports fans have a soft spot for the defending World Series Champions since Los Angeles is one of the closer major U.S. cities to Hawaii. Furthermore, several Hawaiin born players like Kolten Wong and Shane Victorino have played for the Dodgers. Los Angeles’ 2020 and 2024 World Series titles have given fans in Hawaii plenty to cheer for and you have to go all the way back to 2012 to find the last time the Dodgers missed the playoffs.
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NBA – Los Angeles Lakers: Before there was Lebron James, there was Kobe Bryany, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. The Lakers seem to always have iconic players to cheer for and many basketball fans in Hawaii have an allegiance to the Lake Show. Los Angeles has made the playoffs in four of the past five seasons and last won it all during the 2019-2020 season.
Those in Hawaii struggling with gambling addiction can call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER or text 800GAM. A chat option is also available at 1800gamblerchat.org. Hawaiians can also utilize Gamblers Anonymous if interested in group meetings with other people going through the same challenges. Gamblers Anonymous’ phone number is 909-931-9056.