HB 2584 Summary

• Establishes a Poker Commission attached to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, comprised of three commissioners (directors of DBEDT, DCCA, and Taxation or their designees).

• Authorizes the commission to license and regulate live poker rooms with a limit of one poker room per county operating at any given time.

• Requires poker licensees to meet qualifications including five-year Hawaii residency, $1,000,000 in financial resources, no felony convictions, and compliance with safety, security camera, and industry-standard record-keeping requirements.

• Imposes mandatory penalties for violations: minimum $2,000 fine for first offense, $4,000 for second offense within five years, and $4,000 plus minimum seven-day license suspension for third or subsequent offenses within five years.

• Creates a poker regulation special fund to support commission enforcement operations and public outreach efforts, funded by application fees, licensing fees, and fines collected by the commission.