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No Ad Space Available In Hawaii For Nevada Gambling Industry

A new Hawaii gambling bill aims to ban Nevada gaming companies from advertising on the island if the state can legalize gambling.

Hawaii lawmakers want to keep Nevada gaming companies out
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Nicholaus Garcia Avatar
2 mins read
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A recently introduced Hawaii gambling bill would keep the island from turning into a mini Las Vegas by eliminating all advertising.

The bill, Senate Bill 935, authored by Sen. Stanley Chang (D), proposes a ban on Nevada gaming companies from advertising in Hawaii and fines for violators of the law.

No ad space available in Hawaii for Nevada, or else

According to the bill:

“Prohibits advertisements for Nevada hotels, resorts, or other recreational services that promote casinos or gambling devices licensed by the Nevada Gaming Commission from being broadcast, televised, marketed in printed publications or displays, distributed online, or otherwise communicated by electronic means within the state.”

But wait, there’s more. The bill would also institute a general excise tax on companies advertising casino-related vacation packages and gaming devices in Hawaii.

Language reads:

“Imposes a general excise tax on persons engaged in the arrangement, provision, or sale within the state of vacation packages or other recreational services that promote gambling or gambling devices that is not prohibited by state law of thirty percent of gross income due to that activity.”

Ban on advertising is no surprise

The state’s attempt to ban Nevada-style advertising from the island is no surprise. The ban is in line with similar legislation to keep big-name sports betting operators out of Hawaii.

Earlier this month, House Vice Speaker John Mizuno introduced a gaming bill to expand gambling in the state. The bill would legalize retail sports betting and poker games.

However, the Sports Gaming Bill states that Hawaii would prohibit industry heavy-weights like DraftKings and FanDuel from obtaining a gaming license. At the time, Mizuno said: “We don’t want a mainland corporation coming in and just taking all the money.”

For now, both bills face uphill climbs. Hawaii is one of two states — Utah is the other — with no forms of legal, regulated gambling. All previous efforts to expand gambling in the state have failed.

Nicholaus Garcia Avatar
Written by

Nick Garcia is a senior reporter for PlayUSA. Garcia provides analysis and in-depth coverage of the gambling industry with a key focus on online casinos, sports betting and financial markets. Garcia has been covering the US gambling market since 2017. He attended Texas Tech University as an undergrad and received a Master of Arts in Journalism from Columbia College Chicago.

View all posts by Nicholaus Garcia

Nick Garcia is a senior reporter for PlayUSA. Garcia provides analysis and in-depth coverage of the gambling industry with a key focus on online casinos, sports betting and financial markets. Garcia has been covering the US gambling market since 2017. He attended Texas Tech University as an undergrad and received a Master of Arts in Journalism from Columbia College Chicago.

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