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Online gambling in Hawaii

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The island paradise of Hawaii has something for almost everyone. However, at the moment, it does not cater to gamblers. Along with Utah, Aloha State is one of just two that does not permit any form of wagering. At present, therefore, online gambling in Hawaii is limited to offshore services provided by platforms licensed in other territories.

However, that might change in the future as America steadily embraces sports betting. Therefore, it is possible that the 50th state will be saying ‘Aloha!’ to online betting platforms at some time in the future. Read on to find out more about what that could mean, and how online sportsbooks might look here.

No, online gambling and sports betting in Hawaii are not legal at present. Indeed, no form of gambling is permitted there. There are no casinos, neither virtual nor bricks-and-mortar. The state has no racetracks, and thus no horse betting. Hawaii chose not to set up a state lottery and is one of just four U.S. states that continues to hold out against Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) games.

This makes Hawaii unusual compared to many other resort areas. In states like Florida, which opened the door to casinos back in 2004, gaming resorts are a big attraction for locals and tourists alike. Up to now, though, Hawaii’s legislators show little interest in trying to scoop a revenue jackpot by legalizing gambling.

Best online gambling sites in Hawaii

Although Hawaii is yet to authorize online sports betting, we can get an idea of what it might be like. Several other states have already opened up for online sportsbooks and many companies are earning good reputations as fun, fair places to gamble on the big game.

Pointsbet Hawaii

A brash upstart on the U.S. market, Australia’s Pointsbet has ruffled feathers with some punchy promo campaigns. It is popular because of its good bonus offers and its spread betting option. Players also like its high-quality app, while partnerships with high-profile athletes and tournaments keep the platform in the public eye.

Caesars Hawaii

Bettors at Caesars love the sportsbook’s loyalty program. The program awards points for every wager you place, win or lose. Those points add up to prizes: cold, hard cash, available to withdraw or to boost your bet roll. A generous sign-up bonus also attracts customers.

FanDuel Hawaii

This was one of the DFS companies that helped change legal attitudes to sports betting in the USA. After the SCOTUS struck down PASPA in 2018, FanDuel was one of the first gaming platforms to move into online sportsbooks, helped by its established fantasy sports audience.

BetRivers Hawaii

In other states, BetRivers has been one of the first to enter newly legalized markets. And, once established, it has secured its status as a market leader. With up $500 in sign-up bonuses, plus a fully-fledged app for Android or iOS, it ticks a lot of boxes for high rollers and casual bettors alike.

Bonuses are a big part of online gambling. For many bettors, careful use of the promos and freebies offered by different sportsbooks can make the difference between profit or loss from their wagers. Meanwhile, for gambling companies, the right bonus offer is a surefire way of attracting new customers.

When online sports betting finally comes to Hawaii, you can bet on seeing at least some of the following on the market.

  • Sign up bonus – Gambling platforms need customers to sign up. The best way to get people to join is to give them a gift. Therefore, almost every major sportsbook will offer some kind of bonus to new customers when they register for an account. The precise promo will vary from site to site, so it is important to check the fine print and make sure you understand exactly what you are getting.
  • Matched deposit bonus – In a nutshell, when you pay funds into your account, the gambling site will give you the same amount in free bets. This is a popular sign-up bonus, with the freebie tied to your first deposit after creating an account. But you might also see it as a loyalty bonus, or in a time-limited ‘happy hour’ for returning customers.
  • Free bet bonus – Like betting, but don’t like risking your own money? Free bets are the alternative. Online sportsbooks offer these credits to encourage more betting action. It might come in a sign-up offer, or as part of a ‘bet-and-get’ deal where a specific wager triggers a reward. Players can use free bets as a way of ensuring their wagers to guarantee a small win. Or they can go big in the hope of netting a generous return with zero downsides. Remember that free bets cannot usually be withdrawn as cash, and the free stake will not be returned as part of a win.
  • Risk-free bets bonus – This is a type of ‘bet-and-get’ offer. Customers are invited to bet on a certain market. If the qualifying bet wins, that’s the end of the story. Go and enjoy your money. If it loses, though, the sportsbook will refund the stake. The best offers refund that stake as cash, but more commonly it comes back as a free bet. It’s worth remembering that you risk losing with that free bet, so ‘risk-free’ is not 100% true.
  • No deposit bonus – More common in casinos than HI sportsbooks, a no deposit bonus is a reward offered to players before they even pay cash into a new account. Not surprisingly, these are usually small — a couple of bucks for a free bet, or a handful of free spins on the slots. Often, they also have hefty wagering requirements that make it hard to turn them into cash. However, they can be a good way of checking out a new game or exploring a new platform.

How to join an online gambling site in Hawaii

An experienced gambler might think this looks like a statement of the obvious. For rookies — and Hawaii, with no history of gambling, has many newcomers to this game — it’s not always clear where to start. Happily, creating a betting account is usually a straightforward process. Here are some pointers about how to do it.

  1. From our list, choose an online gambling site in Hawaii. We cannot recommend using offshore sportsbooks, because customers in Hawaii have no legal protection if things go wrong. However, as soon as Hawaii allows online gambling, bettors in the Aloha State can trust us to be first with all the news of sportsbooks coming to the market. Our recommendations can help you find the platform that suits you.
  2. Fill out your personal information. Most betting sites and betting apps in HI have a simple, intuitive sign-up process. You’ll need an email address, a cellphone number, and the last four digits of your SSN. The latter is used to confirm your identity and protect against fraud. Often, new customers are asked to submit photos of their ID and proof of address as a further security measure. Typically, though, creating a new account takes just a few moments.
  3. Make a deposit using your preferred payment method. Today’s gambling platforms try to keep up to date with as many payment methods as possible. Old-school bank cards are still popular, while long-established e-payment services such as PayPal are gaining a greater share of the market. Meanwhile, gaming-oriented payment systems like Play+ are part of a new generation of payment methods. And don’t forget fast-growing crypto, as both a means of funding your account and also as a currency for betting.
  4. Start gambling online Once you have funds in your account — hopefully, augmented by a generous sign-up bonus — you can start placing your first wagers. You can browse the sportsbook by sport until you find the game and market you want to get a piece of. Then, clicking on the odds will open up a bet slip. Select your stake, click on ‘place bet’ and wait for the result.

Online gambling platforms offer a wide range of different games. There are dedicated sportsbooks, devoted entirely to betting on the outcome of sporting events. In addition, casinos bring all the excitement of card games and roulette tables to your fingertips. Card game sites, online bingo halls, and other game-specific platforms are also popular. Moreover, in many cases, you can find all of these under one umbrella for an all-around wagering experience.

  • Online poker – Poker’s devotees insist that it is a game of skill and psychology, where the luck of the draw is a secondary factor. That argument persuaded some legislatures to make it legal before other kinds of gambling. Today, poker sites offer a wide variety of games. Whatever your budget and your preferred style of play, you can find something to suit you.
  • Sports betting online – The U.S. Supreme Court removed any federal impediment to gambling on sports via the internet back in 2018. Since then, several states have already changed their laws and allowed licensed operators to provide sportsbook services online. It’s a boon for gamblers, who can now bet on almost any sporting event they can think of from their computer or mobile device. Quick, convenient, and safe, it is proving to be a popular pastime for sports lovers across the country.
  • Horse racing – Traditionally, betting on the horses took place at the racetrack. Indeed, for many years, this was the only widely available, legal sports betting on offer in the USA. Today, it is possible online as well, so Hawaii’s lack of a track is no obstacle. Gamblers can try to pick the winner of each race or choose a horse to finish in the top three places. For longer odds and possibly bigger wins, there are specialist bets like the Trifecta, which challenges you to name the top three in the correct order.
  • Online casino games – Much like online sports betting, the internet has transformed the casino experience. Something that once required players to go out, possibly complying with stringent door policies, is now available anywhere with a WiFi signal. All the top casino games and slots are waiting at the best casino websites — and there are more and more online exclusives out there. Your cellphone may not have the glamor of Monte Carlo or the chutzpah of Vegas, but it can recreate all the excitement of playing for real money.

History of online gambling in HI

The history of Hawaii’s online gambling is not very long. After all, in a state with no lawful wagering on offer in any format since the days of Dutch missionaries, the internet era is nothing more than a continuation of the same. That said, the internet is also transforming our world. And there are signs that this may be true for gambling in Hawaii as well.

For much of its history, Hawaii has totally banned any form of gambling. Those early missionaries fretted that it would destroy the morals of island life. Thus, apart from a brief interlude in 1893, betting has never been permitted. Today, only Utah has comparably strict rules. Back in 1959, when Hawaii became the 50th state of the Union, there was an effort to allow bets on horse racing, but the proposal was shut down in the House of Representatives. After that, nothing. A 2010 proposal to relax the laws went nowhere. In 2018 the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which had previously blocked sports betting at a federal level. This opened the door for states to make their own gambling policy. Since then, several draft bills proposed legalizing betting or called for well-funded research to establish the full implications of allowing Hawaiians to enjoy a wager. So far, none of them have made much progress and the authorities seem reluctant to explore the betting market.

However, all is not lost. DraftKings, the market-leading American gambling platform, is at the forefront of efforts to keep the issue on the agenda. While it remains true that the governing party in the state is generally lukewarm about gambling, there are members of the legislature who are openly in favor of allowing Hawaiians to enjoy a bet. Supporters of gambling in Hawaii might point to the example of New Hampshire, a state with a similar population. After NH allowed sports betting in December 2019, it raised more than $44 million in taxes on gambling through June 2022. It’s also worth noting that any meaningful sports gambling in Hawaii would be online. The state has no pro sports venue that could host on-site betting. Moreover, the small and dispersed population would make it hard to set up a successful brick-and-mortar sportsbook and there is no tradition of casinos here. Therefore, online is clearly the way to go for a company wanting a big presence in sports betting.

Who regulates online gambling in Hawaii?

At present, with no legal gambling in the state of Hawaii, there is no gambling regulator. However, if and when the authorities permit betting services, we can expect the relevant legislation to include the establishment of an official regulatory body. One of the unsuccessful proposals to allow gambling proposed setting up the Hawaii Sports Wagering Corporation. This would oversee all sports betting in the state and take responsibility for licensing the platforms operating in the state. Only sportsbooks that were safe and fair for customers would be able to secure a license.

Gambling regulation matters for players as well as betting companies. A well-regulated gambling market offers a safe environment for customers to place bets. You can be confident that a licensed company will pay your winnings, for example. In addition, you can anticipate measures to help problem gamblers. And, for the authorities, a regulated betting industry opens a new revenue stream. That’s something any government enjoys.

FAQ

When will online gambling become legal in Hawaii?

We cannot say when Hawaii will legalize online gambling. The latest indications are not encouraging, with several legislative proposals failing to progress through the system. The state law-making schedule means it is impossible to see online wagers gaining approval in the state before 2023, and realistically it could be a rather long wait.

Are there any online gambling options for Hawaiians right now?

Yes, it is possible to bet online in Hawaii. A number of offshore casinos and sportsbooks will accept customers from Aloha State. However, it is important to remember that these are not licensed and regulated by any local authority. Therefore, in the event of any dispute, customers may find they have limited rights of redress.

Does Hawaii have any land-based casinos?

No, Hawaii has neither land-based nor floating casinos. The state permits no legal gambling activity whatsoever on its territory. Therefore, it is impossible for any operator to open a land-based casino here.

Are there any sports betting retail locations in Hawaii?

Not at the moment. Currently, sports betting is illegal in Hawaii. This means no betting company can open premises on the islands, nor can if offer online gambling services to residents of the state.