The US state of Hawaii is to consider the legalisation of real-money online gaming online poker after senator Will Espero introduced bill SB 677 to the state legislature.
The bill seeks to legalise and regulate online poker, casino games and lottery - but sports betting is not included.
Under the proposed legislation, the Hawaii Internet Lottery and Gaming Corporation will be created to oversee online gaming activities in the state.
Espero said that “tens of thousands” of Hawaii residents are gambling on unregulated websites, exposing them to potential fraud. A problem regulation would tackle, he said.
It is early days for there to be any realistic prospect of Hawaii regulating i-gaming anytime soon but Espero hopes to get the ball rolling with the bill.
