A bill proposing legal gambling in Hawaii — with casinos only at the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District and the Hawaii Convention Center — will be voted on by the state Senate today after passing its Economic Development and Tourism Committee on Thursday.
Senate Bill 893 calls for a five-member gaming control commission, appointed by the governor and falling under the administration of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
The casinos would be taxed 15% of gross receipts and operated under 20-year licenses.
Among other duties, the commission would administer a state gaming fund. The state Department of Education would receive 15% of this fund. Unspecified percentages would be allotted to a compulsive gamblers program, casino security and commission administrative costs.
Hawaii and Utah are the only states with no legal gambling.
There was no testimony on the bill Thursday, but Sen. Glenn Wakai, a NASED proponent, is clearly an advocate.
“There have been many other attempts (in Hawaii), but they got no support,” Wakai said. “What’s different now is using it as an investment tool for NASED. Casinos make money, and NASED needs to make money. Why send all this money to Las Vegas? Let’s bring the Ninth Island home.”
NASED is a public-private partnership state project centered on a new Aloha Stadium at the same site of the original one in Halawa, and also developing the surrounding area. The Legislature approved $400 million in public funding, but the 25,000-seat stadium will cost more than that, and the project’s private partners are responsible for designing, building, operating and maintaining the facility.
If the bill is approved by the full Senate, it must also pass the Education and Ways and Means committees before crossover to the House.
nay