HB 1308 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO SPORTS WAGERING.

Summary

Allows for the regulation of sports wagering by the Department of Law Enforcement. Establishes licensing requirements for sports wagering operators and sports wagering suppliers. Establishes a general excise tax to be levied on sports wagering operator licenses. Establishes the Problem Gambling Prevention and Treatment Special Fund to be administered and expended by the Department of Health. Specifies that legal sports wagering and fantasy sports contests shall not be considered contests of chance or gambling. Authorizes DLE to perform criminal history record checks on applicants and licensees relating to sports wagering. (SD2)

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Governor

Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Last action Apr 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB1308_SD1 → HB1308_SD2 · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill transforms the legislative text from a draft version (SD1) to a finalized second reading version (SD2) by removing metadata headers, page numbers, and internal file references while retaining the core policy language. The substantive legal content regarding sports wagering regulations, licensing, and taxes remains unchanged, but the document is now formatted for final legislative consideration.

TECHNICAL

Removed internal document metadata, page numbers, and file headers that were present in the draft version but are not part of the actual law.

Added a formal title block identifying the bill as 'HB1308 SD2' with associated metadata such as bill numbers and timestamps.

Replaced draft-style line numbers and document footers with clean, continuous text suitable for final legislative printing.

HB1308_HD1 → HB1308_HD2 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill establishes a new legal framework for sports wagering in Hawaii, creating a new chapter in the Revised Statutes to regulate the industry. It defines key terms like 'sports wagering' and 'fantasy sports,' sets up a licensing system for operators and suppliers, and mandates a voluntary exclusion program for problem gamblers. The bill also amends existing tax laws to impose a 10% tax on adjusted gross sports wagering receipts and clarifies that legal sports wagering is not considered illegal gambling.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of legal activities in Hawaii by explicitly permitting sports wagering, which was previously unregulated or potentially illegal under general gambling laws. It also clarifies that fantasy sports contests are excluded from the definition of gambling.

DEFINITION

Added comprehensive definitions for terms such as 'sports wagering,' 'wagering event,' 'amateur sports event,' and 'fantasy sports contest' to clarify what is legal and regulated.

REQUIREMENT

Established a new licensing system requiring operators to be 'qualified gaming entities' and suppliers to meet specific standards, with fees of $250,000 for operators and $10,000 for suppliers.

ENFORCEMENT

Created a voluntary exclusion program allowing individuals to ban themselves from sports wagering and imposed civil fines and criminal penalties for unlicensed operations.

FISCAL

Amended tax statutes to levy a 10% tax on adjusted gross sports wagering receipts and directed a portion of these funds to a special fund for problem gambling prevention and treatment.

TIMELINE

Set a universal start date for sports wagering operations no later than 180 days after the Act's effective date, though the effective date in this version is erroneously listed as July 1, 3000.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the definition of 'gambling' and 'contest of chance' in existing statutes to explicitly exclude sports wagering and fantasy sports contests authorized under this new chapter.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Friday, 04-25-25 12:30PM in conference room 411.

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Amended

House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Introduced

Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 758) in amended form (SD 2).

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 15; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Aquino, Chang, Kim, Richards. Noes, 10 (Senator(s) DeCorte, Elefante, Fevella, Fukunaga, Gabbard, Ihara, Inouye, Kidani, Moriwaki, Rhoads). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 11 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, DeCoite, Hashimoto, Kanuha, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Aquino, Elefante, Kidani, Kim ; 2 No(es): Senator(s) Moriwaki, Inouye; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-02-25 10:01AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Committee

Reported from EDT/CPN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1328) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Mar 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fukunaga, Richards ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) McKelvey.

upper

Mar 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDT were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) DeCoite, Wakai, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fukunaga, Kim ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDT/CPN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-13-25 1:02PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Committee

Re-Referred to EDT/CPN, WAM.

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDT deleted the measure from the public hearing scheduled on 03-11-25 1:00PM; CR 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDT has scheduled a public hearing on 03-11-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to EDT, WAM.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 355).

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with Representative(s) Chun, Hussey, Lamosao voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Belatti, Garcia, Garrett, Grandinetti, Iwamoto, Marten, Matayoshi, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Perruso, Reyes Oda, Shimizu, Takayama, Templo voting no (15) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Feb 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 12 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Holt, Kitagawa, Lee, M., Morikawa; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kusch, Lamosao, Miyake, Templo; 3 Noes: Representative(s) Grandinetti, Alcos, Reyes Oda; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.

lower

Feb 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Lamosao, Matsumoto, Tam voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Belatti, Garcia, Grandinetti, Kapela, Marten, Muraoka, Perruso, Pierick, Reyes Oda, Shimizu, Takayama voting no (12) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).

lower

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 791) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Kahaloa, Todd; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Belatti, Hashem; 4 Noes: Representative(s) Perruso, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.

lower

Feb 5, 2025

Committee

Reported from ECD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 169) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on ECD recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Ilagan, Hussey, Holt, Tam, Todd; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Matsumoto; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Templo.

lower

Jan 27, 2025

Committee

Referred to ECD, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 4

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 22, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

3 primary · 0 co-sponsors