Reports: Hawaii bill on sports betting clears senate hurdle

Hawaii moved closer to potentially legalizing online sports betting, after House Bill 1308 passed the state's Senate, several outlets reported Wednesday.

The bill has sparked much debate, yet has continued to march toward becoming law. The Senate voted 15-10 to approve an amended version of the bill on Tuesday, with four of the votes tallied "with reservations."

Those amendments included operator restrictions, taxation devoted to responsible gambling initiatives and payment/fining particulars, per Casino Reports.

That outlet also outlined tax revenue estimates might have been inflated by lobbyists, as quoted figures were higher than income taken in by states with larger populations.

BetMGM and DraftKings, among others, testified in favor of the bill.

For the bill to become state law, HB 1308 must still pass Hawaii's House of Representatives then be signed into law by Governor Josh Green. Observers are unclear on Green's preferences should the bill land on his desk.

Hawaii would be an unusual circumstance, as the state would enter the gambling regulatory process with an inexperienced regulator and no existing gambling framework to speak of, per reporting from igamingbusiness.com.

Thirty-four states have already legalized online sports betting, along with the District of Columbia, according to the American Gaming Association. Forty states have some form of legal sports betting as of Feb. 27.

--Field Level Media