Summary
- Sen. Stanley Chang clarified that the main goal of his Bill is to combat problem gambling
- The Democrat Senator said it was not his intention to discourage Hawaiians from visiting Nevada
- The Bill was forwarded to the full Senate last week
A new bill that looks to ban gambling ads Hawaii has been approved by the Senate’s Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection in a 3-1 vote on February 16.
Senate Bill 935, introduced by Democrat Senator Stanley Chang on January 20, has now been endorsed to the full Senate. However, lawmakers decided to remove a section of the Bill that contained specific references to commercial advertisements by casinos in Nevada.
The amendment was done following a recommendation from Hawaii’s Attorney General Anne Lopez who stated that the particular language might violate the First Amendment.
Bill Meant to Raise Funds for Problem Gambling Treatment
In an exclusive interview with the Review-Journal, Chang clarified that his Bill is not meant to discourage Hawaii residents from visiting Nevada. Instead, its main goal is to generate funds to fight problem gambling in the Aloha State.
Chang stressed that while gambling is currently prohibited in Hawaii, it’s wrong to believe that residents there do not suffer from gambling harm. The Honolulu representative said that around 26,000 locals are experiencing compulsive gambling disorders and at the moment, the state lacks the resources to address the issue. According to Chang, problem gambling is costing the state an estimated $26 million a year.
Chang also explained why there were specific mentions of Nevada and Boyd Gaming Corp in the original Bill. He said that Boyd properties are attracting a significant portion of the 300,000 Hawaiians visiting Nevada each year.
Chang’s Bill stated that Hawaii residents had spent $600 million at Boyd’s gaming venues in downtown Las Vegas in 2022. That figure was corrected by the company, saying its downtown Las Vegas segment only brought in $215 million for the entire year, and not all of that accounted for Hawaii residents.
Nevada Is Still A Good Place To Visit
Chang made it clear he has no ill feelings towards Nevada or the casinos operating in the state, as he himself, as well as some of his friends and family, have visited the state numerous times. Chang said that while he is not a gambler but thinks Las Vegas is a “fantastic place to visit” whether you are a gambler or a non-gambler.
Despite the changes made to his proposed legislation, Chang is happy that it gave rise to conversations regarding the issue of problem gambling in Hawaii. He remains hopeful the Bill would make it through the state legislature and ultimately signed into law by Governor Josh Green.
About the Author
