Gambling in Hawaii is one of the trickiest things to do, as it has arguably the most restrictive gambling laws in the United States. Utah’s stringent gambling laws only bested Hawaii’s. There are no land-based casinos in Hawaii, and the state does not permit any form of gambling whatsoever.
This statement, unfortunately, means that there are no online casinos in Hawaii. The state has outlawed all forms of gambling to the point where social gambling is illegal.
This means that under the current regulations, no lottery games are permitted, nor is betting of any kind, be it on horses or sports. The closest form of recourse that gamblers in Hawaii have to these gambling rules is to board two cruise ships that run a casino lounge on international waters out of Honolulu. Aside from that, players visit online casino sites licensed with offshore gaming commissions to enjoy the latest internet casino games.
Accepts players from: United States
Updated: 05th April, 2026
Everything You Need to Know About Hawaii Gambling Laws
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Casinos in Hawaii: There are no gambling machines permitted to operate in Hawaii. That goes for any betting game that allows players to stake on sports events.
Hawaii Gambling Age: Since no recognized form of gambling is allowed in the state, there is no established minimum age for players to gamble.
Legal Bodies in Hawaii: Authorities of Hawaii handle the rulings of new approaches to legalizing gambling in Hawaii.
Sports Betting in Hawaii: The only record of sports gambling in Hawaii after racetracks were closed was daily fantasy sports sites that operated in mainland Hawaii. They were operational until 2016, when Attorney General Doug Chin cracked down on fantasy sports, branding them illegal.
State-Owned Lottery Games: The gambling ban extends to lottery games on the island. People who want to bet on lotto games can travel to the mainland and buy a lottery ticket, but any winnings accrued from the lotto game will be taxed.
Hawaii Gambling Laws
The gambling laws in the island state forbid all forms of gambling. The laws go as far as banning any forms of charitable gambling hosted by churches. The last time there was a push to legalize casino gambling in resorts was back in 2010.
As one of the most recognized tourist destinations in America, many patrons who would enjoy gambling were open to the change in the bill. As soon as there seemed to be any headway in the gambling regulations, a flurry of Hawaii officials, lawmakers, and lobby groups contested the legalization of gambling in Hawaii.
The legal definition of gambling in Hawaii is expanded to include every contest of chance where people risk money for the outcome of future events. The letter of the law speaks of staking on events in order to receive (win) something of value, which is illegal in Hawaii. Since most states in the US have anti-gambling legislation, casino operators opt to position their gaming machines on ships. There is also a section that covers that section, in which it reads:
“Gambling on Ships: Gambling aboard ships is illegal. Possession of gambling devices, e.g., slot machines, is illegal.”
In the past, Hawaii casinos were perceived to take tourists’ money that would otherwise be spent to boost the local economy. This influenced the decision to ban all forms of commercial gambling devices, including casino slot machine games.
Types of Live Hawaii Gambling
The closest form of gambling to Hawaii is social poker games. Even in those, people who participate in the festivities are not allowed to make a profit. Hawaii’s online poker laws allow pubs to host poker tournaments with the stipulation that there are no buy-ins to participate in the game.
The statute that covers social gambling states that any entity, be it a homeowner or an organizer, that hosts the social gambling game must not make any profit from the event. This stipulation involves selling drinks or food as beverages when playing the game.
There are no state-owned or private lottery games, you cannot gamble on sports games, or even play bingo in Hawaii. The law has gone as far as to outlaw gambling on cruise ships while visiting the Island State.
Gamblers with the inclination to gamble will have to travel to neighbouring islands and locations that have legal gambling venues. This includes the Northern Mariana Islands, where you’d have to visit the gambling facilities on the island of Saipan. San Jose also offers gambling options on the island of Tinian and cruise ships. Here is a list of laws that regulate Hawaii online poker:
Title of the Bill
Year
Lawmaker
Supported
Opposition
Senate Bill 677
2017
Michelle Kidani
Maile Shimabukuro
Majority of the Hawaiian Senate
Senate Bill 204
2017
Michelle Kidani
Brickwood Galuteria
Majority of the Hawaiian Senate
House Bill 855
2017
Will Espero
Gilbert Keith-Agaran
Majority of the Hawaiian House
History of Gambling
The state of Hawaii was formed in 1959, and gambling was not outlawed in the past. The history of horse racing in Hawaii dates back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Hawaiian royalty enjoyed horse racing a lot; however, the state soon put an end to the rich tradition by the 1950s. In today’s climate, there are no horse racing tracks that are still operating from the glory days of when King Kalakaua regulated horse racing in Hawaii.
The Hawaii gambling laws ensured that there were no racetracks or any pari-mutuel betting machines that players could play in today’s Hawaii circuit. Hawaii gambling following the enactment of the ban into law was conducted on the black-market races, which remains debatable.
Casino Gambling FAQ
Social gambling in Hawaii is permitted only under strict guidelines. It is not conducted anywhere in a public place, such as a hotel or bar, motel, nightclub, or any other kind of business establishment. Players must all be of age, and profit cannot be made from the festivities.
CasinoUS
Poker in Hawaii is considered gambling and therefore not allowed. The only legal poker game is permitted for social gambling cases. Gamblers in Hawaii have often elected to visit offshore online poker rooms to play the card game for real money.
CasinoUS
The Island State has banned all forms of gambling to protect players from potential gambling harm. Hawaii’s population, including tourists, is supposed to spend their money on goods and services that contribute to the state’s economy. These motives remain the foremost pertinent reasons for lawmakers advocating for gambling to be banned in Hawaii.
CasinoUS
Daily fantasy sports are not even legal. The decision to ban fantasy sports was taken back in January 2016 when a prosecutor issued cease-and-desist orders to DraftKings and FanDuel not to operate in the region.
CasinoUS
Honolulu does not have any gambling establishments in or around the city. Gambling is prohibited by law, and gamblers board cruise ships that stop by Honolulu and sail to international waters to play casino games.
CasinoUS
According to the gambling laws in Hawaii, all forms of casino gambling are prohibited, including web-based gambling games. Players have chosen to sign up at offshore casino sites to enjoy their favorite games online.
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