Hawaii Lottery: Will It Ever Be Legal

Hawaii does not currently have a state lottery, and it doesn’t participate in the inter-state lottery draw games such as Powerball and Mega Millions either. As it stands, Hawaii is just one of five states in the country to outlaw lottery gambling and is just one of two states to completely prohibit all forms of gambling, the other state is Utah. Given these circumstances, it is apparent that Hawaii is perhaps the least accommodating place for lottery gambling in the entire country. Throughout this brief article, we’ll investigate the reasons for the tough stance taken against lottery games by the Aloha State, and offer some insights on the potential future legality of Hawaii lottery.

Every year statistics are released detailing the number of lottery tickets purchased by residents of states where the prohibition of gambling exists. These numbers usually invoke a large debate arguing that the lost tax revenues from the lottery ticket sales are not worth it, and legalization must be implemented. So-called “lottery tourism” is a valuable business for vendors selling high-profile draw games, especially when there is a large jackpot up for grabs. But for Hawaiians, crossing state lines to play the lottery is not so easy. The lost tax revenue is at the core of the argument for those pushing for more liberalized gambling laws in Hawaii. Socially-responsible funding initiatives thrive from lottery revenue in Kansas, and in Idaho the state dedicates nearly 40% of all net profits into school funding. To add some perspective, the Maryland Lottery since its inception in 1973 has earned over $16bn for the state budget.

So why does Hawaii still hold out on abandoning their anti-gambling position, and open up their market to a lottery, casinos, and all other forms of gambling? For starters, the local government is staunchly opposed to any gambling legislation and has maintained the position that gambling would attract “different types of people”. Long-serving Senator Daniel Inouye has tried to preserve the original Hawaiian values, and aggressively opposes any external business interests that would distort the view of Hawaii as a place to go on a family vacation or honeymoon, as opposed to a weekend getaway with the lads to gamble in casinos and party.

Future Prospects of HI Lotto?

Progress on this front is being made, in January 2019 a bill was introduced to the state senate that would make the Powerball and Mega Millions the first HI lotto games available to Hawaiians. The benefits to this are plain to see, and proponents of the bill are already gaining a much more vocal presence within the internal political battles of Hawaii. The most obvious benefit to this is the huge influx of funding for state projects that the lottery can provide. But unfortunately in March 2019 the decision to vote on the introduction of these lotteries was deferred, being pushed back to late 2020. In another blatant example of the resistance to gambling in Hawaii, even a senate commissioned report investigating the feasibility of a lottery raising revenue for the state coffers was thrown out and blocked from being completed.

There are a variety of politicians, business leaders, and sections of society that support the introduction of a lottery in Hawaii. Many believe that some of the key issues facing the state such as homelessness, food banks, and disaster relief could be greatly bolstered by the $50 – $100 million projected to be raised from a Hawaii lottery. But many in the GOP are firmly opposed to any form of gambling legislation and believe that the introduction of a lottery would only serve to worsen the social conditions of the vulnerable in its society, as Republican state representative Gene Ward sarcastically commented on the Hawaii lottery bill, “if you want to create social ills and homelessness, this is probably a good bill.”

Conclusion

The reasons for Hawaii’s staunch anti-gambling stance are complex and deeply rooted in their social fabric. In time this may change, but the short-term prospects of any form of lottery finding its way to these beautiful islands in the Pacific ocean are unlikely. For more on the current status of lottery gambling across the country, visit our lottery America homepage.

Common Questions that People Also Ask

This article has been a brief round-up of the current legal status of lottery gambling in Hawaii, if you require further clarification on any of the issues raised please see our most common questions answered below.