Online Gambling in Hawaii: Is It Legal?

Since Hawaii does not have licensed gambling of any kind, it’s natural to wonder if a person can gamble online legally in Hawaii. The answer is yes. No doubt, that is confusing to many readers, so we’ll explain in this post how residents can enjoy real money online gambling in Hawaii without legal concerns.

US federal law bans interstate online sports betting, but leaves most forms of online gambling to individual states. That was not always the case, but a federal case in 2020 assured that states have control over online casino and poker site gambling. Hawaii, like 43 other US states, does not have “legal” online gambling. So what is legal online gambling under Hawaii law?

Overview of Online Gambling in Hawaii

Most of the time when people discuss legal online gambling, they’re talking about regulated gambling with a license in the state. Legal online casinos in Hawaii would be those licensed, regulated, and taxed by Hawaiian state agencies. In that sense, illegal online casinos would be any sites that accept Hawaiian players but aren’t licensed.

The truth is, many Hawaiians play at offshore online casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks. These sites are hosted on offshore servers, beyond the control of US and state authorities. People gamble for real money at these online sites, but never face legal consequences. Hawaiian law enforcement doesn’t have the ability to punish offshore operators, while they don’t have the desire to prosecute individual Hawaiians who gamble online in the privacy of their own home. No Hawaiian ever has been prosecuted for gambling online.

Gambling Availability in Hawaii

How Hawaiian Casinos Can Gamble Online Legally

If a Hawaiian resident launched your own online casino and accepted real money play from Hawaiians, that person would be prosecuted and convicted. Illegal gambling operators — just like illegal bookies and those who operate illegal gambling dens — are punished. Individual residents who play on their own desktop computer, smartphone, or tablet are not punished. With that in mind, here are the best legal online casinos in Hawaii.

How to Gamble Online for Real Money in Hawaii

Readers might be wondering how they should sign up at an online casino. Follow the steps below and you’ll be playing in minutes. Remember: though people refer to them as unlicensed online casinos, that only means they’re not licensed in the USA. Most online casinos receive a license from a respected international regulatory agency, which often audits the site for safety and fairness.

1. Sign Up at an Online Casino: Find an offshore online casino and register for a player account. Read casino reviews and pick sites known for safety, fairness, and reliable payments. You won’t have consumer protections, so be careful.
2. Make a Deposit: Next, make a deposit with the online casino. Choose among banking methods like Visa or MasterCard credit cards, e-wallets, bank wire transfers, or cryptocurrencies.
3. Accept a Welcome Bonus: Most US online casinos have two different welcome bonuses: the traditional welcome bonus or the Bitcoin bonus. The traditional covers credit cards and web wallets, while Bitcoin bonuses cover crypto payments (and offer more cash).
4. Read the Requirements: Bonuses have wagering requirements and other terms of use. Read these to assure you clear the wagering requirement before making a withdrawal request. If not, you might play the wrong casino games or have the bonus disallowed altogether.
5. Play Real Money Games: Next, play real money casino games to satisfy the requirements and have a chance at jackpots. The top menu of most casino sites have the broad categories: slots, table games like blackjack and roulette, live dealer games, and specialty games like keno or scratch cards.
6. Request a Withdrawal: Once you’re cleared the wagering requirement, you can make a withdrawal of your bonus cash anytime. Choose the same payment method you used for the deposit, then wait a few days for the payout. Cryptos take a few minutes to a few hours.

The Best Online Casinos and Sportsbooks for Hawaiian Players

Hawaii Land-Based Gambling Industry

Hawaii has no land-based gambling industry. Players won’t find any land-based casino, sportsbook, race track, or off-tracking betting locations. No lottery vendors exist in Hawaii, either. If you find someone offering brick-and-mortar gambling, it is illegal and you could get in trouble. Hawaiian law enforcement does conduct raids on brick-and-mortar illegal gambling dens.

Does Hawaii have land-based casinos?

No. Hawaii does not have land-based casinos. A couple of times in the past ten years, Hawaii state lawmakers have filed draft legislation to legalize, regulate, license, and tax casino gambling and sports betting. A change to the Hawaiian gambling laws does not appear likely anytime soon.

Does Hawaii have legal betting tracks?

No. Hawaii bans all forms of land-based gambling 100%, so it does not have legal betting tracks or legal pari-mutuel wagering. Hawaii never developed a horse betting culture in the decades when such gambling was a major force in American gambling. Now that horse racing and dog racing has reached a nadir, Hawaii is unlikely to ever offer pari-mutuel betting.

Does Hawaii allow off-track betting?

Not at all. Since it doesn’t allow pari-mutuel wagering, Hawaii does not have legal OTBs or simulcasting. No one can bet on horse races or dog races legally in Hawaii. If you find a person offering horse betting, it’s not legal.

Does Hawaii allow charitable gambling?

Nope. Most US states license charitable gambling organizations to host raffles and bingo nights to raise funds for the charity. Hawaii does not. People cannot gamble in bingo halls, buy legal raffle tickets, or enjoy pull-tab games or pickle games like in other US states.

Is social gambling allowed in Hawaii?

People cannot host private poker games in their home. That’s true even if the organizer does not take a rake from the poker hands. People cannot host poker clubs or card clubs, poker nights for charity, or even weekly home games of poker.

Social gambling online exists in a bit of a gray area. Social gaming sites allow people to sign up for free and play simulated casino games for real money using coin credits. Because they offer real money payouts, such gaming sites are considered real money betting sites by some Hawaiian law enforcement. This is especially true when one considers these sites let players buy additional coins when they run out of promotional coins. This makes social gaming sites a free downloadable apps with in-app purchases, which is illegal in a casino gaming app.

What is the legal gambling age in Hawaii?

Hawaii does not have a legal gambling age. It is illegal to gamble in brick-and-mortar settings for every Hawaiian resident, whether they’re 18 years old or 80 years old. No one can gamble in land-based establishments in Hawaii. Gambling at online sites in Hawaii is another matter.

Hawaiian Land-Based Casinos and Bingo Halls

This is normally where we place a table with the legal brick-and-mortar casinos in Hawaiia. Since Hawaiia has no such establishments, we’ve added one last reminder to avoid land-based gambling dens, because they are strictly illegal.

Online Gambling Hawaii FAQ

Is online gambling legal in Hawaii?

Yes, though players must understand the limitations. You will not find legal and licensed online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms in Hawaii. Instead, gamblers sign up at real money offshore online gambling sites. While Hawaii does not want people playing at these offshore sites, officials cannot stop such gambling. The gaming sites are beyond Hawaiian jurisdiction.

Beyond that, Hawaiian officials do not target online gamblers for prosecution. They focus efforts on land-based gambling operators and the gamblers who flock to such places. If a person launched an online gambling portal on Hawaiian servers, they would be targeted. Individual residents who play for real money online are not targeted.

Can I legally gamble at online casinos in Hawaii?

Yes, you can. Offshore online casinos accept Hawaiian players. Hawaiian law enforcement would shut down these sites if their servers were in Hawaii. Since they are not, online casinos are free to accept real money Hawaiian players. Law enforcement also does not fine or prosecute individuals for gambling in the privacy of their own home.

Can I gamble for real money at online sportsbooks in Hawaii?

Yes. Offshore online bookmakers accept Hawaiian bettors. Again, sportsbook operators are punished by Hawaiian officials if they fall in their jurisdiction. Individual sports bettors can gamble online in Hawaii without concerns about prosecution.

Can I gamble at online poker sites in Hawaii?

Yes. Online poker players from Hawaii can gamble online. The offshore online poker sites that accept Hawaiian card players have large player pools from other countries. These poker playing networks are large and offer a full range of tournaments, sit-n-go events, and ring games. They offer $1 million guaranteed events featuring Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud. All in all, offshore online poker sites feature everything Hawaiians would want in an online cardroom.

How do I gamble online in Hawaii using crypto deposits?

It’s easy to gamble online in Hawaii using crypto deposits and withdrawals. Hawaii residents can gamble online using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by playing at offshore online casinos, sportsbooks, or poker sites such as Wild Casino, Las Atlantis Casino, and Slots of Vegas. These sites welcome Hawaii players and offer a variety of games including slots, table games, specialty games, and live casino games, as well as generous welcome bonuses ranging from $2,500 to $14,000. They support a range of crypto deposits and payouts including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Bitcoin SV. In fact, Hawaii-friendly gaming sites make Crypto Bonuses available for those who use cryptocurrency payments.

How do I gamble online in Hawaii using crypto deposits?

It’s easy to gamble online in Hawaii using crypto deposits and withdrawals. Hawaii residents can gamble online using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by playing at offshore online casinos, sportsbooks, or poker sites such as Wild Casino, Las Atlantis Casino, and Slots of Vegas. These sites welcome Hawaii players and offer a variety of games including slots, table games, specialty games, and live casino games, as well as generous welcome bonuses ranging from $2,500 to $14,000. They support a range of crypto deposits and payouts including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Bitcoin SV. In fact, Hawaii-friendly gaming sites make Crypto Bonuses available for those who use cryptocurrency payments.

How to Gamble Online in the United States