The Honolulu Police have what to be happy about with police officers busting an illegal gambling venue that hosted 16 slot machines and seizing $5,000 in cash. Yet, this is just a symptom of, not the disease, of what is going on.
Hawaii has been a long-time outlier in opposing gambling regulation, fearing that mainland companies would come in and sap the state of its wealth while hurting biodiversity and leaving a trail of misery and addiction in its wake.
While these concerns are valid, and lawmakers and operators need to work together to come up with a framework that would please both, the fact remains that illegal gambling continues to proliferate.
More Illegal Gambling Venues Busted in Hawaii
In the meantime, Hawaii has tightened the penalties and clarified the law against gambling venues that operate illegally, the only type presently, passing three bills from this year to empower the police to work harder against such venues and also have a wider breadth in charging and bringing the people responsible to justice.
The bills are introduced by the city of Honolulu, with the area struggling to keep black market operators at bay. If experience from other jurisdictions is any indication, however,
The latest crackdown against the illegal venue is just one of a string of similar operations. There is no hope for Hawaii passing any other laws that would pave the way for sports or casino gambling in 2025 in the meantime.