Hawaii: status at a glance
| Online casino | Not authorized |
|---|---|
| Sports betting | Not authorized |
| Online poker | Not authorized |
| Sweepstakes casinos | No ban found in our sources |
One of the shortest answers in the country
In most states, asking whether online gambling is legal leads to a regulator, an operator list and a set of rules. In Hawaii it leads to the penal statutes. The status table shows no online casino, no sports betting, no poker and no sweepstakes ban. Industry trackers add that Hawaii and Utah are the only two states with a complete ban on commercial gambling, and that Hawaii has no state lottery, no casinos and no racetrack betting. Those are tracker reports, not statements we read from a state agency, and the statute text below is the primary record.
Because no licensing system exists, there is no Hawaii license to check. A website that says it is licensed holds a license, if any, from somewhere else, and that license gives it no standing in Hawaii.
How the statute defines gambling
Part III of chapter 712 deals with gambling offenses. Its definitions section says that a person engages in gambling "if he stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance" or on an event the person does not control, with the understanding that something of value will be received if a certain outcome occurs. The same section says gambling does not include bona fide business transactions valid under the law of contracts, and it also leaves out agreements to compensate for loss caused by chance, such as insurance.
The definition does not mention the internet. It turns on staking something of value on chance, which describes the activity and not the medium. We read no Hawaii decision that applies the chapter to an online product. Rules that apply nationwide are on the federal gambling law page.
Promoting gambling under the penal code
Two sections concern promoting gambling, and both are about the person running or profiting from the activity, not the bettor.
- Section 712-1221, promoting gambling in the first degree: a class B felony. The statute reaches a person who recklessly advances or profits from gambling by receiving more than five bets totaling more than $500 in any seven-day period, by accepting money or records from someone other than the player whose chances they represent in a lottery or mutuel scheme, or by receiving or being owed more than $1,000 in any seven-day period played in a scheme or enterprise.
- Section 712-1222, promoting gambling in the second degree: a class C felony for a person who negligently advances or profits from gambling activity.
We did not read the remaining sections of the part, including the offense of gambling itself and the penalties for players, so this page makes no statement about them.
Sweepstakes casinos and offshore sites
No Hawaii statute read here names sweepstakes casinos, and we found no attorney general release or court decision on them. Industry trackers describe sweepstakes sites as an option for Hawaii residents, but those descriptions come from parties with an interest in the model and do not come from a state ruling. The statute's test is whether something of value is staked on chance, and whether a given dual-currency product fits that test has not been settled in anything we read. The national legal debate is on the are sweepstakes casinos legal page, and the states where sweepstakes casinos are banned page shows the states that wrote it into law.
Offshore casinos and sportsbooks hold no Hawaii authority either. What a foreign license does and does not mean is covered on the offshore casinos page.
Recent attempts to change the law
An industry source reports that bills to legalize sports betting (HB 2570), casinos (HB 2222) and a lottery were introduced in the 2026 legislative session and stalled in committee. We did not read those bills, so the numbers are given as reported. For the comparison with the other states, see the sports betting by state overview, and for the other state the trackers describe as banning all commercial gambling, see Utah.
Where to get help
We found no Hawaii helpline number in the sources read, so the national line is cited: 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). More resources are on the responsible gambling page.
Frequently asked questions
Is online gambling legal in Hawaii?
No. No online casino, sportsbook or poker market is authorized, and the status table lists none.
Does Hawaii have a state lottery or casinos?
Industry trackers report that it has neither. The state statutes we read contain only the criminal gambling provisions and no licensing framework.
Is social gambling with friends legal in Hawaii?
Section 712-1231 defines social gambling narrowly and treats it as an affirmative defense. It excludes hotels, bars and restaurants, any game where an outside party profits, and any player who is a minor.
Can I play at a sweepstakes casino in Hawaii?
No Hawaii statute read here addresses it, and we read no ruling either way. The statute asks whether something of value is staked on chance.
The social gambling exception
Section 712-1231 defines a narrow category it calls social gambling. Gambling qualifies only if players compete on equal terms, no player may collect anything of value or profit beyond their own winnings, no outside person or entity profits from the game, the game does not take place at certain venues such as hotels, bars, restaurants or public parks, no player is a minor, and the activity is not bookmaking. It works as an affirmative defense: the defendant must present evidence and prove it by a preponderance of the evidence.
The exception is built around private games among equals. A commercial website that takes stakes and pays winners does not meet the conditions listed, because someone outside the group profits.