Hawaii sports betting bill falls short despite passing in state House and Senate
Sports Betting House Bill in Hawaii passed both the House and the Senate but ultimately still fell short
After House Bill 1308 surprisingly passed by both Hawaii's House and Senate, the 2025 sports betting dream in Hawaii died last week. Let's see why it failed as well as what could be next for Hawaii sports betting.
How far House Bill 1308 reached
House Bill 1308 failed to move on after reaching a conference committee due to disagreements about the bill's amendments.
"We just haven't come to an agreement on the details with number of operators, tax rate, fees and those kinds of things," Rep. Daniel Holt told KHO2. Holt was the one who first introduced HB1308.
The original HB1308 proposed at least four sportsbooks to operate in Hawaii along with authorizing daily fantasy sports. It advanced past the Senate with amendments, as the latest version of HB1308 included a 10% tax rate and a $250,000 licensing fee. But the Sports Betting Alliance suggested higher licensing fees, and the Ironworks Stabilization Fund thought the tax rate should be between 15% and 20%.
Additionally, there was a divide about which department would regulate sports betting. The original version of HB1308 proposed the Department of Consumer Protection do it, but that department voiced concerns. Other departments later suggested were the Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
Previous Hawaii gambling bills
Last year, HB2765 was advanced by the House Committee on Economic Development, but it died after failing to cross over to the Senate. In 2023, House Bill 344 (regulation for online sports betting) failed. Three bills died in 2022—House Bill 1973 (which specified that sports betting wouldn't be considered games of chance or gambling), House Bill 1962 (legalized casino gambling) and House Bill 1815 (regulation for online sports betting).
What's next for Hawaii sports betting
Hawaii now has to wait until 2026 for another legislative effort to legalize sports betting in the Aloha State. But given that HB1308 advanced further than any other Hawaii sports betting bill, there is definitely some positive momentum it can build upon. Hawaii is one of two U.S. states (Utah) that has zero forms of legalized gambling, so the fact that HB1308 advanced past the state House and Senate shows the tides may be turning on the island.
