Can You Gamble In Hawaii
- Can You Bet In Hawaii
- Can You Gamble On Cruise Ships In Hawaii
- Can You Gamble In Hawaii
- Can You Gamble Online In Hawaii
Is Online Gambling Legal in the State Of Hawaii?
Of all the States, only Hawaii and Utah have such comprehensive anti-gambling legislation. In the Island State, only social poker games where nobody makes a profit (not even from selling beverages) are allowed. That is it, no casinos, no charity gambling, no lottery and no sports. This article explains the Hawaii gambling laws (or rather anti-gambling laws) in detail.
- Can you gamble online while living in hawaii - Answered by a verified Criminal Lawyer We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them.
- Minimum Legal US Gambling Age by State & Market. Legal gambling ages vary across the US, with states setting the minimum at either 18 or 21. However, this can change depending on the type of.
Hawaii’s criminal code is clear: participating in any gambling is a misdemeanor while promoting gambling can be a class C felony. It's not illegal for Hawaii residents to purchase tickets for out-of-state lotteries, however the sale of lottery tickets from other states is prohibited within state lines.
First up below, a quick-fire overview of the history of gambling in this State can be found. This consists of heavyweight legislation and many busts. Next a game-by-game guide, which covers the specifics of what you can’t do. After that a legislative timeline can be found, including the key passages from the statute books. Finally, I have summarized the key points – and then speculated on how gambling in Hawaii might look in the future.
Chumba Casino Hawaii – Sweepstakes Casino Option
Chumba Casino is available in Hawaii and gives players the chance to play online casino games for real cash prizes.
Hawaii Gambling Laws – A Brief History
This State was formed in 1959 – and gambling has been against the law ever since. In pre-State colony days, there was a horse-racing scene, and I am sure many bets were laid on the black market on those races. These declined and stopped in the 1940’s and efforts to legislate have met with no success since.
Periodically, headlines scream of big busts of just about every kind of gambling you can think of. These include a ‘Lottery Queen’, a major indicted in connection gambling extortion, a sports-betting ring getting busted and the seizure of gambling machines. If nothing else this shows that there is still a significant appetite among Hawaiians for gambling, even if their government shows no signs of budging on the legal perspective.
Most recently, there have been bills introduced in 2010 and 2012 requesting that a study be done into setting up a casino and the regulation of online poker respectively. These caused a stir in the media – but did not get far through the legislative process before being killed off.
Hawaii Gambling Laws – An Overview of Which Gambling Games Are Legal
Casino Games: No, like most forms of gambling, this is strictly against the law in Hawaii – the closest legal US casino by distance would be in the State of California.
Online Casinos: No, online gambling is covered by the broad definition of what constitutes a gambling game in this State. Basically any game with a chance element, and some risk / reward, even if skill can materially affect the outcome.
Live Poker: Yes, you can play poker socially in Hawaii. There are strict rules surrounding social poker games. No profit can be taken by any house or individual organizer. This extends to profiting by selling food or beverages, which rules out pub leagues which are popular even in conservative States like Utah where poker is also social-only.
Online Poker: No, there have been some recent bills which would regulate online poker games – though these have not made it far through the legislative process before being killed off.
Sports Betting: No, there are no racetracks or pari-mutuel betting machines. Hawaii has a rich history of horse racing, starting in the 1800’s and continuing until the end of the 1940’s when this died out.
Lottery Betting: No, this is one of the few states which does not have a lottery nor participate in any inter-State lottery programs.
Bingo Games: No, there are not even any provisions for charitable raffle or bingo gambling in Hawaii.
Hawaii Gambling Laws – Timeline of Key Statutes
The main gambling provisions have remained largely unchanged since the State joined the US in 1959. Unlike in other States, any amendments have strengthened the anti-gambling rules – rather than allowed certain types of gambling to occur. Like many legal definitions, the ones Hawaii uses is broad enough to make sure that fans of any particular game can’t say that they are not covered. Here are the key pieces:
First their broad definition of gambling:
[su_quote cite=”Chapter 712-1220″ url=”http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/vol14_ch0701-0853/hrs0712/hrs_0712-1220.htm”]A person engages in gambling if he stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.[/su_quote]
Then, just in case you were about to play the ‘skill game’ card, their definition of a Game of Chance puts that one to bed:
[su_quote]”Contest of chance” means any contest, game, gaming scheme, or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein.[/su_quote]
There is no getting around it, even the definition of a gambling device (also illegal) is broad enough to cover just about anything.
There have been some recent attempts at legislation for gambling, though to date these have been killed off very early in the legislative process and have not gotten to committee – let alone had the opportunity to be put to the popular vote. Here are some examples:
1959: A bill is introduced to bring back Horse Racing via a track on the island of Maui, this did not pass the house of representatives.
2010: Separate bills to investigate the setup of a committee to oversee an investigation into the viability of casino gambling and a proposal to set up a State lottery. Neither bill made it as far as the floor.
2012: A bill (number 2242) requesting the setup of another committee, this time to look into the regulation of online poker is submitted – again, it is killed off before there is a chance of a serious debate.
Talk of yet more bills periodically gets the poker press excited. Experienced commentators suggest otherwise, that the opposition to gambling is strong enough in the Island State to ensure keep the status-quo for the foreseeable future.
Hawaii Gambling Laws – Summary and a Look into The Future
Along with Utah, this is the strictest anti-gambling State of all, with only social poker games allowed for residents. One thing to bear in mind is that individual participants in gambling games are rarely affected by the regular busts and crack-downs – which are aimed at the organizers and profiteers. Residents wishing to gamble at offshore operators may be breaking the law in the strict sense, though they are doing so with minimal risk of being personally prosecuted. Please take legal advice before making your own decision on whether to play online poker at offshore sites from Hawaii.
The most likely future scenario for Hawaii is no change. If there is an (unlikely) drop off in tourism income then change might be possible – at the moment this State appears very happy with the current no-gambling situation.
Useful Resources:
State Laws
Can You Bet In Hawaii
Wiki History (mentions horse racing)
State legislature
What the legal gambling age is depends on the state in which you live. Based on the powers of the states, each state's rights, and the lawmakers utilizing these rights, these ages can vary. the variance comes into play with different forms of gambling, different states, and, in the case of online gambling, the age requirement offered by a gambling site. While this may seem complicated with so much information to keep track of, this is not exactly the case - age requirements in gambling are very easy to comprehend, provided you know where to look.
Unfortunately, not every single state has actually listed the age requirement for gambling in their code of laws. It is further complicated by the fact that some states allow smaller jurisdictions, such as counties and cities, to establish their own legal ages. For the most part, we are only going to worry about each state's individual rules, as well as the rules of the different gambling sites in question. We have looked into this issue on a state by state basis, and we are going to tell you flat out that the age restriction for legal online gambling in the USA is fixed at two numbers - 18 and 21.
CHECK HERE FOR A LIST OF GAMBLING SITES THAT ACCEPT USA PLAYERS
USA Sportsbooks - USA Casinos - USA Poker Sites
What's The Legal Gambling Age??? | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama - 21 | Hawaii - 21 | Massachusetts - 21 | New Mexico - 21 | South Dakota - 21 |
Alaska - 18 | Idaho - 18 | Michigan - 21 | New York - 18 | Tennessee - 21 |
Arizona - 21 | Illinois - 21 | Minnesota - 18 | North Carolina - 18 | Texas - 21 |
Arknsas - 21 | Indiana - 21 | Mississippi - 21 | North Dakota - 21 | Utah - 21 |
California - 21 | Iowa - 21 | Missouri - 21 | Ohio - 21 | Vermont - 18 |
Colorado - 21 | Kansas - 18 | Montana - 21 | Oklahoma - 18 | Virginia - 21 |
Connecticut - 21 | Kentucky - 21 | Nebraska - 21 | Oregon - 21 | Washington - 18 |
Delaware - 21 | Louisiana - 21 | Nevada - 21 | Pennsylvania - 21 | West Virginia - 21 |
Florida - 21 | Maine - 18 | New Hampshire - 21 | Rhode Island - 18 | Wisconsin - 21 |
Georgia - 21 | Maryland - 21 | New Jersey - 21 | South Carolina - 18 | Wyoming - 18 |
Do Gambling Ages Differ Between Sites And States?
Can You Gamble On Cruise Ships In Hawaii
Barring a few exceptions, you will have to be 21 in order to legally gamble. This is the case in nearly every single state. Some states allow 18 year olds to gamble. Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming all have gambling ages of 18.
Every other state in the Union has fixed their gambling age at 21, and you cannot get around this in any way. If you attempt to do so you are aiming at serious trouble, including fines, having your money confiscated, and possibly arrest, though the latter is not likely.
There is one point of confusion that is universal in online gambling. This lies between the age required by your gambling site and the gambling age required by your state. In some cases, one will allow gamblers to begin at a younger age than the other. In the event that these ages differ from one another, you have to go with the gambling age that is higher.
For instance - your casino allows 18 year olds, but your state requires you to be 21. That means you cannot join unless you are 21, as per your state's regulations. On the other hand, if your state will allow 18 year olds but that particular gambling site requires you to be 21, you will have to be 21 - regardless of your state's requirements. This is the only real point of confusion, and it can be easily bypassed.
Age Requirement For Online Gambling Sites
As you will come to find, there are gambling age restrictions at the gambling sites you visit. These gambling ages requirements will be stipulated in the terms and condtions section of the site, or some variation of the rules of the site. These requirements are very important, and strictly enforced by the sites themselves.
One thing we can tell you not to do is attempt to gamble underage - be it online or in a brick and mortar venue. Even if you can enter the website or join up with pme, you will ultimately be going down a path you cannot finish walking. If you join a gambling site that you are not old enough to play with, be aware that they are fully entitled to confiscate your money.
No one likes losing, and losing without even having a chance to win is never fun. We have compiled the legal gambling ages in every state, so we recommend you take a look at these before you start to gamble.
It's best consult your local laws to find out the gambling age after you have checked with, and at least are old enough to gamble at the online casino or sportsbook you have chosen. If you meet the online gambling site but not the state, you are still not 'legally' allowed to wager regardless of where it operates. Getting caught illegally gambling online is not something that you want to have happen, as you will be stripped of accounts, money, and perhaps more.
Can You Gamble In Hawaii
We do not condone underage gambling and encourage all players to get informed. The age of gambling legally online is still a debated issue, with many states in the U.S. requiring bettors to be at least 21 years old. We do not foresee that changing in the near future though, if at all.
Can You Gamble Online In Hawaii
Find the legal gambling age for every state here.