Not Feeling the Industry
The US State of Hawaii has been considering the revenue potential of land casino
gambling in the state recently – but all of the public opinion seems to be
pointing toward a great big no on this front. Basically, the Hawaii state budget
is in a similar place as many US states right now, there are huge budget gaps
and a necessity for more revenue sources. Several US states are considering the
implementation of intrastate online casinos and betting as a way to bring in a
lot of tax revenue to flesh out the state budget. In Hawaii, the internet
gambling industry is really not on the table, but land gambling at casino venues
is a big question. The gambling industry as a whole brings in a great deal of
money, and there is big tourism potential to consider as well.
As the state legislators consider the land casinos as a viable source of
revenue, the public is making their opinion known. The small Hawaiian islands
have a reputation for luxury, relaxing, and a whole different culture out there
in the middle of the Pacific…and there a large number of Hawaiians who do not
feel that the land and online casino gambling industry is a good fit with the
state. The proposal has already been defeated, so the land gambling industry is
not developing any time soon. That being said, there is a big chance that the
government is going to try to broach this subject again in the near future if
there are no other viable sources of revenue coming into the state budget.
One of the strongest opponents at the government level was the state Finance
Committee. During the hearings there was extreme reserve in allowing the land
and online casinos to get a foothold in the market at this point – the bill is
no longer at the forefront of consideration and the state is looking for other
alternatives to the budget deficit. |