It was another step forward for proponents of legalised mobile sports betting in Hawaii on Wednesday (2 April) after the senate ways and means committee approved HB 1308, moving it to the full senate floor.
The bill passed by an 11-2 vote, although four state senators voted “aye with reservations”. Ways and means was the third and final senate committee needed to vote the bill forward after the economic development and tourism and the commerce and consumer protection committees did likewise.
The bill reached the senate floor despite ongoing opposition from notable groups throughout the state. Among them was the state attorney general’s office, which submitted written testimony citing problem gambling concerns as well as changes to fantasy sports that will lead to “unregulated and unlicensed gambling”.
Filling in the numerical blanks
HB 1308 passed through the lower chamber of state government without licensing fees and a tax rate in late February after those were removed via amendments. The ways and means committee filled in those blanks during its hearing, with an initial licence fee of $250,000 and an initial or renewal supplier licence fee of $10,000.
The 10% tax rate on adjusted gross revenue that was stripped via amendment in the house was re-inserted. It would be one of the lowest rates in the US among states with commercial wagering. Seven per cent of tax receipts would be deposited into a special fund created by the bill for problem gambling prevention and treatment and another 7% is earmarked “for programmes that support education in the state”.
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