Hawaii Lawmakers Again Look Into Possibility Of Casino Gambling

For the second straight year, casino gambling is a hot topic in Hawaii. The state has never allowed casinos, and there has been an increased push for the popular form of gambling over the past couple of years.

Lawmakers are having discussions about the possibility of casino gambling. House lawmakers have become the first to place importance on discussing the issue, even though it appears that the likelihood of the gambling expansion is small.

In the past, gambling lobbyists have thrown millions of dollars at politicians in an effort to bring casinos to one of the world's top tourist destinations. Those attempts, however, fell flat and never amounted to any law changes.

Now, the state budget could be a driving force behind a possible law change. The budget is projected to be over $1 billion in the hole by 2011, and some lawmakers believe that the way to help bridge that shortcoming is to add at least one casino in the state.

"I think we should have a public hearing," said Representative Marcus Oshiro, "It's been about ten years since we've had a good public hearing on these issues, in line with the idea that we have to consider all options."

O'ahu has been mentioned as a possible location for a single casino. Other ideas being floated around call for casinos on Hawaii home lands. The first step in the process of legalizing casinos occurred when gambling proposals have cleared several committee reviews.

February 14, 2010
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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