Best Hawaii Sportsbooks December 2024
| Online Sportsbooks · States · Hawaii |
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. Believe it or not, Hawaii has even stricter limitations on gambling than traditionally conservative states such as Alabama or Georgia. Only two states have no form of legal gambling: Hawaii and Utah.
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, but only if it's heading to another country.
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
DFS IN HAWAII
While sports betting is not legal in Hawaii, a handful of DFS providers do operate in the state. Here are all the DFS options for Hawaii:
MOST LIKELY HAWAII ONLINE SPORTSBOOKS
Waiting for Hawaii online sports betting to become legal will take a while, but it may not be forever. One thing we know for sure is if it does happen, it will happen way before any retail casinos open up. If 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.
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.
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.
HAWAII BETTING LAWS
Hawaii only has one opinion on gambling: no. It is tied with Utah for the most restrictive state in America when it comes to gambling. 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.
Back in 2022, legislators introduced Hawaii House Bill 1815. This was the first step in legalization of sports betting. Within the bill they proposed a 55% tax on customers, which is the highest we have seen to date. The measure received a bit of attention but wasn't voted on prior to adjournment. Similar legislation has not been introduced in the years since, and we don't expect any movement on the issue in 2025 or beyond. Sadly, sports betting is not coming to Hawaii anytime soon.
Updated on : 12/21/2024
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
Below are some of the most popular betting 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.
- Various College Basketball tournaments
- Hawaii Bowl
- PGA Tour golf tournaments in Oahu and Maui
BEST TEAMS TO BET ON
Hawaiians are huge sports fans. They just root for mainland pro teams. Here are some of the most popular pro sports teams in Hawaii
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Golden State Warriors
- San Francisco 49ers
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
HAWAII CASINOS
There are no land-based casinos in Hawaii. Other forms of gambling, including the lottery, are also illegal. 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.
It also doesn't stop social casinos from being available to residents of the island. Since social casinos are technically free to play they fall into a currently grey area.
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 unlikely that we’ll 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. Thirty-eight states allow some sort of legal sports wagering.
WHAT DO I NEED TO REGISTER AT AN ONLINE BETTING SITE IN HAWAII?
Since sports betting is not available in Hawaii, you cannot register at an online betting site in Hawaii.
IS IT SAFE TO DEPOSIT MONEY AT SPORTS BETTING SITES IN HAWAII?
Regulated sportsbooks comply with strict financial regulations. Your money is safe at a legal sportsbook. However, there are no legal sportsbooks in Hawaii so your money is not safe if you are depositing money at a sports betting site in Hawaii.
