Best Hawaii Sportsbooks April 2024
| Online Sportsbooks · States · Hawaii |
The legislation around Hawaii online sports betting is evolving rapidly. Most recently, Hawaii introduced Hawaii House Bill 1815. This is the first step in legalization. Within the bill they propose a 55% tax on customers, which is the highest we have seen to date.
Stay tuned because, as of April 2024, sports betting is still illegal in Hawaii! When new bills or steps in legalization start to arise, we will update you here.
WHY CAN'T I BET IN HAWAII?
Also called the Aloha State, everything in Hawaii speaks a sense of welcome— all except gambling. Aloha means both hello and goodbye. Hawaii is one of the strictest states when it comes to casinos, both online and offline. If you’ve been to conservative states such as Kansas or Georgia, Hawaii is much more difficult.
Unlike other places where gambling is often allowed on Native American reservations, Hawaii has no land-based casinos. The state has never shown any interest in changing that. As a result, Hawaii online sportsbooks are also nonexistent. You can still gamble on a boat or a cruise ship while sailing beyond the coastline.
Some of the top sportsbooks will be more than happy to accept Hawaiian residents, should the legislature provide for legal betting. Read on to find out more about these sites.
CONTENTS
- Most Likely Hawaii Online Sportsbooks
- Hawaii Betting Laws
- Hawaii Online Sports Betting: Events and Betting Markets
- Common Payment Options
- Hawaii Casinos
- Final Thoughts on Betting in Hawaii
- Hawaii Online Sports Betting FAQ
MOST LIKELY HAWAII ONLINE SPORTSBOOKS
Waiting for Hawaii online sports betting to become legal may take a while, but it won’t be forever. One thing we know for sure is if it does happen, it’d happen way before any brick-and-mortar casinos come into place. When the dream becomes reality, we expect the following sites to be some of the first to enter the state.
BETMGM
This New Jersey based online casino has been keeping its place as one of the biggest operators in the country. Popular for a vast collection of games, BetMGM is still adding more stuff to its arsenal monthly. On top of the hundreds of slot machines and table games, you will also enjoy live dealing actions. The site offers many variations of blackjack and roulette. For live games, there’s a different selection you can try.
If you’re an online sports betting fan, you’d definitely like it here. BetMGM offers numerous varying odds on every game. You also won’t run out of sports to play - the site has betting options on all kinds of sports and activities. From NFL, NBA, to hockey and horse racing, BetMGM would be a great addition to the Hawaii online sportsbook market.
As of now, the site is only open for New Jersey residents. This means that while Hawaiians can still access out-of-state operators, they won’t be able to get on BetMGM. Even if online sports betting becomes legal in HI, it would still depend on NJ to allow you access. You can still play slot machines on the site for fun using a virtual network. Only sportsbooks will be unavailable.
FANDUEL
FanDuel has been around for some time. The idea of fantasy sports has charmed millions of fans since its inception. Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) has then become a norm in the online sportsbook industry. Since launch, FanDuel has capitalized on the element of free choice and predictable outcomes to appeal to players. Now, it’s one of the best DFS platforms in the nation.
Most players love FanDuel for its accessibility. Equipped with a neat interface, even the newest beginners would find their way around just fine. Team selection is fast and easy. Player swapping is also quick and convenient. FanDuel has a flexible system that makes it easy to trade and bet. Payout doesn’t usually take much time compared to other sites. For that, it’s been ranked number one among the best online sportsbooks that offer DFS.
The bad news is, not all states allow Daily Fantasy Sports. DFS has always been considered a game of skill rather than chance. Because of that, most places in the United States have legalized it regardless of their stances on gambling in general. Not the case in Hawaii. FanDuel accepts residents from all but seven states, and Hawaii happens to be one of them. Until Hawaii online sportsbooks acheive licensed status, we can only watch or play for fun.
FOX BET
When Fox Sports and the Stars Group became partners, they decided to create a joint venture. They named it FOX Bet, which sounds fitting. FOX Bet revolves around online sports betting. This site is also very mobile friendly. Anyone can download the FOX Bet app and browse through a variety of online games and sports matches.
FOX Bet was based in New Jersey first before extending to Pennsylvania. There has been news of further expansion into two other states. You can see the campaign on their homepage along with the latest offers.
Players do enjoy bonuses and promotions on FOX Bet. As it’s mainly a sportsbook, you’ll see a lot of free-bet offers. The odds are decent, though they’re still working on the variety in this regard. You’d find mainstream sports, including NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. to bet on.
Unfortunately, Hawaii isn’t one of the states in the expansion plan. FOX Bet would have contributed greatly to a Hawaii sportsbook market place.
THESCORE
theScore is a sportsbook that features sports coverage, pre-game, and live betting. It started as a sports news agency with a scores app. In 2019, theScore launched a betting domain called theScore.bet along with a mobile app. It’s currently based in New Jersey, but hopefully, one day it will become an addition to the Hawaii online sportsbook market.
theScore made its name as a sports news app that provides users with the latest events and betting odds. Now it has partnered with Monmouth Park to bring mobile gaming to the world. With the combination of online sports betting and live feed, theScore provides a unique set of features. They include cross-app access, in-play wagering, bet trackers, and many more.
Thanks to the partnership with Penn National Gaming, theScore has been approved for an expansion. Other states will soon enjoy the action. When Hawaii sportsbooks get the green light, theScore will definitely make the top spots.
DRAFTKINGS
When it comes to game variety and favorable odds, DraftKings has a perfect balance. Voted among the top sportsbooks for several years, this site has one of the best markets. You can bet on all the popular sports plus some niche categories that are special to specific communities. DraftKings offers DFS as well. In terms of Daily Fantasy, the site is behind only FanDuel, and exceeds everyone else.
One thing DraftKings was not designed for is beginners. The user interface can be a lot to process. Also, if you’re not familiar with how odds and live betting work, you’d have a pretty hard time here. There’s no fun play option, either, so you’d have to familiarize yourself somewhere else first.
DraftKings is available only in four states now. Considering how well they’re doing, it won’t be long until they go nationwide. These guys are definitely what Hawaii online sports betting needs.
UNIBET
As a part of the Unibet Gaming Network, Unibet became official not too long ago. Besides an extensive selection of games and slots, Unibet has a unique layout not often seen elsewhere. Their games are divided into three sections. With one account, you can play on Casino Red, Black, or Live Casino.
Sports betting is huge on Unibet. Along with mainstream sports, you also get to bet on many European leagues. There’s ASEAN soccer as well. You get standard welcome bonuses and free bets on certain sports. The Hawaii online sportsbook marketplace could use this type of variety.
This online casino offers one of the fastest withdrawals compared to the best ones out there. Using common methods like e-wallets or PayPal, it takes up to six hours to receive your winnings. They also have a mobile app that offers a limited collection of games.
HAWAII BETTING LAWS
Hawaii only has one opinion on gambling: no. It is by far the most restrictive state in America when it comes to the dice. That’s a little ironic, considering the state thrives on tourism. People come from all over the world to loosen up, but their pockets can’t do the same.
There are no casinos in Hawaii. Other gaming activities such as horse racing or dog racing are also prohibited. They don’t even have a boat casino or state lottery. The only way you can gamble there is doing it in private. As a result, you won’t find any Hawaii online sportsbooks or casinos.
With the status of land-based casinos never seeing the light of day, Hawaii online sports betting shares the same fate. There has been legislation proposing a change on the issue, but to no avail.
Updated on : 04/24/2024
HAWAII ONLINE SPORTSBOOKS: EVENTS AND BETTING MARKETS
As gambling is illegal in every way, shape, or form, there aren’t any sports events that allow betting in Hawaii. Horse racing isn’t legal, either, so you won’t find any tracks or platforms that facilitate horse betting. If one day that happens to change, we might see more excitement from sports fans.
Major sports that may make it to Hawaii online sportsbooks include NFL, NBA, and MLB. Once expanded, you may find more categories like NCAA, college football, and also soccer in many leagues.
COMMON TYPES OF BETS
Once they arrive, Hawaii online sportsbooks will contain many different approaches. Depending on your experience and bankroll, you need to know how to choose the correct method. There are also other factors to put into consideration like the teams involved and who’s favored etc.
The straight bet is the most common wager in mainstream sports like NFL, NBA, and Soccer. These bets involve a point spread. This is the gap between the two teams set by the bookie before the game even starts. The favored team has to give up a certain amount of points to the underdog. Once you placed a bet, you’d have to win according to the spread.
The over/under is a little trickier. You’re not betting on the winner, but rather the total score of the game. The bookie will usually set a specific score before the game starts. You will then wager on whether the two teams would score higher or lower than the set points. When betting live, this wager becomes much more exciting as you’re able to alter your bets as the game goes on.
The money line means betting on the winner without a point spread. This type of betting does involve a lot of odds. Depending on who’s playing, always look for who is more favored to win and bet accordingly.
The team who’s less likely to win will have a better payout. For example, if the Dolphins were playing against the Patriots, the odds could be 17:1. This means that if you bet 1 dollar on Dolphins and they win, you’d get 17 dollars.
MOST POPULAR SPORTS TO BET ON
There are a lot to choose from in the Hawaii online sports betting market once it’s live. Below are some of the most popular markets.
- NFL: American Football has been one of the most trending sports to bet on all over the world. It has the biggest market share in America.
- NBA: second to NFL, basketball is not only popular in the US, but also in the Olympics.
- MLB: baseball has large markets in America and Japan.
- Soccer: the most popular international sport. It has the biggest betting market among bookmakers.
POPULAR HAWAII EVENTS
Although betting isn’t yet legal in Hawaii, you can still attend many exciting sports events in the state. The following are what to expect.
- Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament
- Honolulu Marathon
- King’s Runner 10k
- Maui 5k at Maalaea Harbor
BEST TEAMS TO BET ON
Due to geographical restrictions, it’s difficult for Hawaii to transport sports players to competitions. However, they do have a few professional sports teams that may make it to the Hawaii online sportsbook.
- The Hawaiians
- Honolulu Hurricanes
- Honolulu Sharks
- Hawaii Islanders
- Maui Stingrays
- Hilo Stars
COMMON PAYMENT OPTIONS
To process your winnings and other transactions for Hawaii online sportsbooks, these are the options available.
- Visa/MasterCard
- Bank Transfer
- PayPal
- Skrill
- Neteller
- eWire
- Bitcoin
HAWAII CASINOS
As of now, there are no land-based casinos in Hawaii. Other forms of gambling, including the lottery, are also illegal. There have been attempts for a gaming establishment in the past, but they were unsuccessful. That may change, but we’re going to have to wait to find out.
The current status regarding the legality of Hawaii online casinos is rather odd.
Since the Gambling Act was enacted into law in the late 50s, which is also when Hawaii officially formed a state, Hawaii has held a firm ban against any forms of gambling in its state. This even includes the state lottery.
Other types of betting games that are banned include bingo, charitable raffles, horse racing wagers, and greyhound racing.
The ONLY exception to Hawaii’s strict rules is the inclusion of social poker games. These are only allowed to be played for fun and have a number of rules in place. A summary of the rules is as follows:
- All players must have an equal chance of winning
- The game can’t be held at a commercial location such as a hotel or bar. It can only be held at a private residence, i.e. someone’s home
- Nobody may earn any form of profit - not even for the sale of food and drinks
- No entry fees or raking the pot
- All players must be 18 or older
- No sports wagering
While there are no laws that specifically outline online gambling as illegal, there are also no laws that allow it either. Online wagering is essentially also banned as it fits the definition of what constitutes a gambling game. But this doesn’t stop the best online casinos from attempting to cater to residents of Hawaii.
The future of Hawaii online casinos is grim. But things can change in an instant, so don’t lose hope yet.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON BETTING IN HAWAII
As far as gambling goes, it’s less likely that we’d see any Hawaii-based casinos soon. Hawaii online sportsbooks may still be a ways off. However, with the rise of tourism and trending legalization of internet gambling across the US, there is still hope.
HAWAII ONLINE SPORTS BETTING FAQ
When it comes to Hawaii online sportsbooks, people often ask similar questions.
ARE SPORTSBOOKS LEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES?
Yes. There are a few states that allow online casino and sports betting.
WHAT DO I NEED TO REGISTER AT AN ONLINE BETTING SITE IN HAWAII?
You would need to fill out personal information such as name, address, and DOB. Some sites may require a driver's license number.
IS IT SAFE TO DEPOSIT MONEY AT SPORTS BETTING SITES IN HAWAII?
As there are no online sportsbooks in Hawaii, there’s no way of telling.
CAN I SET BETTING LIMITS?
Most, if not all, online casinos and sportsbooks offer some kind of betting limit that you can set for yourself. In some states, it’s required by law.
