Fri, 04/15/2011 – 19:57 – PokerPages Staff

Hawaii will not be introducing a licensed and regulated online poker framework this year after a bill put forward failed to advance according to reports.

Senate Bill 755, which was introduced to the state legislature in March, had aimed to change the laws on the island which prohibit any form of gambling.

The measure sought to legalize poker variants, such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha in the hope of capitalizing on the revenues associated with live tournament poker.

Representative Angus McKelvey outlined the advantages of the proposal which could have seen the Aloha State become a base for online poker operations in the future.

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

However, the House Financial Committee failed to hear the measure despite it receiving approval from the Economic Revitalization and Business Committee and the House of Judiciary Committee.

Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling President, Dianne Kay, revealed that the potential decline in tourism sounded the death knell for Bill 755.

“Legalized gambling would introduce an undesirable element to our islands, and would have a highly detrimental effect on the tourist industry.”