HI HR134

Request the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to conduct a study on the potential effects of legalizing sports betting in Hawaii

Require submission of findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2025

Study should consider potential tax revenue, citing West Virginia's collection of over $2,800,000 in taxes in the first year after legalizing sports betting

Study should address both benefits (consumer protections, reducing illegal betting) and harms (problem gambling, underage betting, increased gambling addiction hotline calls)

Background notes that thirty-eight states have legalized sports betting since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling, and tens of thousands of Hawaii residents currently wager illegally through unregulated websites generating tens of millions of dollars