Fri, 04/01/2011 – 01:53 – PokerPages Staff

Hawaii may be set for fully licensed and regulated live and online poker following the arrival of a new bill which was introduced to the state legislature earlier this month.

Hawaii currently prohibits all forms gambling but that could be set to change. The SB755 bill outlines the many advantages associated with a legalized framework.

“Experience in other markets demonstrates that many poker tournaments and championship series fill hotel rooms for the duration of the tournaments, which run for several weeks at a time, with participants, their families, supporters, as well as poker aficionados.”

The bill also aims to legalize poker variants, such as Omaha and Texas Hold’em, as skill based games.

“The purpose of this Act is to authorize Internet based peer to peer contests of skill to be hosted in Hawaii and thereby to bolster the State’s economy.”

Representative Angus McKelvey hopes the big will help attract more mainland visitors to the island which would also boost the local economy with increased tax revenues.

However, as with any poker bill introduced there remains conservative opponents. Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling Attorney, Tom Kay, believes any passing of pro online poker measures could create problems in the future.

“Once you get people involved in gambling, some people will get addicted to it, and then you’ll start having problems.”

The bill, which passed the House Judiciary Committee by 9-3 votes, will go before the House Finance Committee later this year.