Prostitution in Hawaii is illegal^[1] but common. There are about 150 brothels in Oahu alone.^[2]

Legal situation[edit]

Under Hawaii Revised Statutes section 712-1200, both the buying and selling of sex are illegal, and also related activities such as soliciting, promoting prostitution and allowing premises to be used for prostitution, are prohibited. The penalty is a fine of up to US$500 and/or up to 30 days imprisonment.^[1][3]

It was legal for Law Enforcement Officers to have sex with prostitutes if they were 'collecting evidence' of prostitution. A new law in 2014 outlawed this practice.^[4][5]

A Bill was put before Hawaii's state government in January 2017, with the intent of decriminalising prostitution. On the second reading it was referred to the 'House Committee on Judiciary' for further investigation and the case was adjourned sine die.^[6][7]

Legal situation. Under Hawaii Revised Statutes section 712-1200, both the buying and selling of sex are illegal, and also related activities such as soliciting, promoting prostitution and allowing premises to be used for prostitution, are prohibited.

1. “Why is there no (legal) gambling in Hawaii?”interesting question. Of course Hawaii was a nation in its own right (a kingdom) before becoming a U.S territory and then a state.
2. Hawaii Gambling Laws – A Brief History This State was formed in 1959 – and gambling has been against the law ever since. In pre-State colony days, there was a horse-racing scene, and I am sure many bets were laid on the black market on those races.

History[edit]

Prior to European contact, there was no prostitution on the islands. Polygamy was common and there was no need for prostitutes. Once European sailors started to come to the island and offered money or goods for sex to the native women, prostitution started.^[8] The dock area of Iwilei grew into a red-light district.^[9]

A law was passed in 1835 that prohibited 'illicit connections,' including prostitution. This was soon followed by a 'Law Respecting Lewdness'. In 1860, the 'Act to Mitigate the Evils and diseases arising from Prostitution' was passed. It required registration and periodic medical examinations for prostitutes.^[10]

By the 1900s, Iwilei had become a closed stockade, its 5 entrances controlled by police. Inside there were brightly coloured houses where the prostitutes worked.^[9] Many of the prostitutes were Japanese. In 1898 there were 26 Hawaiian, 5 half-caste, 8 French, 2 British, 1 American and 115 Japanese prostitutes registered.^[11] Iwilei lasted until May 1917, when it was closed down due to pressure from moralists.^[10]

The 'bawdy houses' soon set up in Chinatown. An era of unofficial regulation followed, which was endorsed by the US military. There were struggles between the police and military, neither wanting to be seen as being in charge of the red-light district.^[10]

During the early 1940s the area served 250,000 men per month, at a fixed fee of $3.^[12] On August 28, 1942, the prostitutes of Hotel Street (the main street of the red-light district) went on strike for better conditions and the right to work away from the brothels. The strike lasted 22 days.^[10]

When Did Gambling Become Illegal In Hawaii State

The best-known prostitute of the period was Jean O'Hara. She is credited with inventing the 'bull pen' system where a single prostitute would work three rooms in rotation: In one room a man would be undressing, in a second room the prostitute would be having sex, and in the third room the man would be dressing. With price controls circumventing the laws of supply and demand, O'Hara's system sped up the process and allowed each prostitute to see many more 'johns' every day.^[13] O'Hara later wrote her memoirs in My Life as a Honolulu Prostitute.^[14]

Following pressure from various groups, Hawaii's Governor, Ingram Stainback, ordered the closure of the red-light district. On September 21, 1944, all the houses of prostitution were ordered to close.^[10]

Sex trafficking[edit]

Hawaii is a source, destination and transit country for sex trafficking. Women from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Russia and parts of Eastern Europe are trafficked to the island and forced into prostitution. Many are moved on to cities on the American mainland after a few months.^[2] Hawaiian women and girls are vulnerable to sex trafficking.^[2]

In 2017 a Chinese national was convicted of trafficking. He brought in Chinese women to work in the Mayflower and Empire Relax massage parlors in Honolulu. He also trafficked women to work in massage parlors in New York City.^[15] The Chinese owner of the Mayflower was convicted of attempting to bribe Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.^[15][16] Both faced deportation.^[15][16]

In January 2018, an American male was charged with prostitution and sex trafficking offences. He had 'recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, advertised, maintained, patronized, and solicited' by force and threats.^[17]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^ab'Hawaii Prostitution and Solicitation Laws'. Find Law. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
2. ^ ^abcPopescu, Roxana (January 22, 2016). 'Paradise lost: Sex trafficking in Hawaii'. Al Jazeera. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
3. ^'HRS Sec. 712-200. Prostitution'. Hawaii Revised Statutes. State of Hawaii. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
4. ^'Sex Work Law'. Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
5. ^'Honolulu Police Department Responds to Allegations About Officers Engaging in Sex with Prostitutes'. Diamond Truckers. March 24, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
6. ^'Hawaii lawmaker submits bill to legalize prostitution'. KXAN. February 5, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
7. ^'HB1533'. Hawaii State Legislature. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
8. ^Diamond, Milton (2004). 'Pacific Center for Sex and Society - Sexual Behavior in Pre-contact Hawai'i'. University of Hawaii. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
9. ^ ^abWoodfin, Mike. 'Iwilei - Ghost Town'. Ghost Towns. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
10. ^ ^abcdeGreer, Richard. 'Dousing Honolulu's Red Lights'(PDF). University of Hawaii. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
11. ^Hori, Joan. 'Japanese Prostitution in Hawaii During the Immigration Period'(PDF). University of Hawaii. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
12. ^Hegarty, Marilyn E. (2010). Victory girls, khaki-wackies, and patriotutes : the regulation of female sexuality during World War II. New York: New York University Press. ISBN978-0814737392.
13. ^'Chinatown Newspaper: Honolulu Harlot'. Fitted Hawaii. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
14. ^O'Hara, Jean (May 27, 2014). My Life as a Honolulu Prostitute.
15. ^ ^abc'Chinese man convicted of trafficking prostitutes to Hawaii'. Taiwan News. April 7, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
16. ^ ^ab'21-month sentence for Hawaii prostitution bribery case'. WTOP. October 10, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
17. ^Duvernay, Adam (January 10, 2018). 'Exonerated death row inmate charged with sex trafficking'. Delaware Online. Retrieved February 5, 2018.

Hawaii may not have been swept up in the online poker boom like some states, but there are still tens of thousands of Hawaiians who have tried their luck at online poker in Hawaii. Even today, Hawaii and online poker continue to be a great match, with hundreds of new players signing on to play cash games and tournaments online.

If you have questions about how to join them, read on for more about online poker and the law in Hawaii, how gambling is approach by the government in Hawaii and an index of credible resources that will help you learn all you ever wanted to know about Hawaii and where to play online poker.

Establishing a State Lottery

In 2016 alone, 15 gaming bills were proposed in the Hawaii State Legislature. Most of the bills pass their first reading and one is still being considered. Three of these bills (HB 1830, HB 2536, and SB 2626) involved legalization of a state lottery.

Fantasy Sports Bills

Three bills (HB 2111, SB 2429, and B2722) involve fantasy sports in Hawaii. Of these, two of the bill seek to make fantasy sports illegal in Hawaii. A third bill would regulate the DFS industry. Ironically, the same senator sponsored a bill to ban fantasy sports and regulate it: Democrat Gilbert Keith-Agaran.

Hawaii State Horse Racing Board

SB 1373 would establish a PILOT for horse racing in Hawaii, while establishing a State Horse Racing Board. The seven senators who sponsored the bill were Donovan Dela Cruz, Brickwood Galuteria, Kaiali’i Kahele, Michelle Kidani, Clarence Nishihara, Maile Shimabukuro, and Gilbert Keith-Agaran. In a 25-member senate, a bill sponsored by 7 members has a pretty good chance of passing.

Slot Machines in Airports

HR 71, sponsored by Cindy Evans, would legalize “amusement concessions” in airports. Essentially, slot machines would be placed in Hawaii’s airports, which would target tourists and business travelers from out-of-state. Most gamblers know that airport slots have the worst odds of all. Terminals have such a high turnover of customers; you don’t really need to build a loyal customer base.

If HR 71 passed, the revenues generated would go into the airport revenue fund. Representative Evans’s bill was carried over from the 2015 legislative session, but it did not appear to have received enough support to go to the floor of the house.

Most of the remaining bills had to do with tax relief on winnings in out-of-state venues and nuisance abatements on gambling offenses. While there seemed to be plenty of activity from lawmakers on the gambling-related subjects, few of the proposals seemed close to passing. Hawaii remains, alongside Utah, one of only two states with a 100% ban on gambling.

Illegal Card Games, Sports Bets, and Cockfighting

Illegal gambling is another matter. Roman Kalinowski, the senior staff writers for the Ka Leo Hawai’i, the campus newspaper for the University of Hawai’i Manoa, wrote in 2015 that “cockfighting, sports betting, video gambling machines and backroom card games are available to locals and tourists willing to track them down.”

When Did Gambling Become Illegal In Hawaii Right Now

Mr. Kalinowski’s assertion was in an opinion piece, but a look through old stories on Legal US Poker Sites gives an indication the student writer is right. A number of illegal gambling rings have been busted in the past 3 years, and some of those rings have been for tens of millions of dollars of cash. Those gaming rings involved sophisticated online betting tools, as well.

Sumner LaCroix, an economics professor at University of Hawai’i at Manoa, said that the prohibition has led to a significant underground economy. Estimates range that underground gaming in Hawaii might involve $700 million to $7 billion of action per year, or between 1% and 10% of Hawaii’s GDP.

As recently as 2014, the Director of Research for Gambling Compliance, Chris Krafcik, predicted Hawaii’s legislature would consider legalizing online gambling. Nothing happened in 2014, but experts continue to believe Hawaii might one day legalize some forms of gambling. Hawaiian residents most often mention a state lottery as a starting place.

Playing Online Poker in Hawaii

When we say legal poker sites in HI, we’re referring to sites with a proper license issued by a qualified regulatory body. If you play on other sites, you’re risking your bankroll. That’s why we only list legit poker rooms in our picks for Hawaiian poker sites, and then we dwindle that group to include just the top rooms with the best bonuses and promotions. The result is the list below

What Sites Take Poker Players From Hawaii Online?

You can play on almost all online poker rooms in Hawaii. This does not include rooms that don’t accept any players from the US, but all poker sites that let American players participate in real money games also take players from Hawaii. Players from states like New York and Washington aren’t as fortunate, as they face sign up restrictions at most sites, but poker players from Hawaii are welcome at rooms across the net.

Online Poker Law for Hawaii

With no case law concerning online poker or any record of arrests related to playing online poker, it’s difficult to reach a final conclusion on the legality of online poker in Hawaii. If you’re playing online poker in Hawaii and want to understand how state law might impact you, we’ve developed this brief overview of the most important parts for online poker players.
Note: Players should always seek professional legal help for anything other than casual questions regarding the law.

Hawaiian law takes a simple and clear position on gambling: None is legal in the state. As a result, the definition of gambling employed in state becomes very important.

The definition of gambling (Section 712-1220(1)) is a pretty standard one and involves any bet of something of value upon what the law calls a “contest of chance.”

Some might argue that poker is not a contest of chance, and that may well be true in the general sense. Hawaiian law, however, has a specific definition of contest of chance that appears to encompass poker:

“any contest, game, gaming scheme, or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein” (Section 712-1220(3))

Engaging in gambling (as defined by Hawaiian law) is a misdemeanour offence (Section 712-1223).

Social gambling (and home poker games) are legal (Section 712-1231), but only under very strict conditions that would seem to preclude online poker from finding shelter under the exemption.

Chances of Regulating Online Poker in Hawaii

As you probably have guessed by now, there’s little in Hawaii’s history that suggests the state is a likely candidate to regulate online poker. With such strict attitudes toward all types of gambling enshrined in the law, a bill that regulated online poker in Hawaii would face substantial hurdles.

That’s unfortunate, because we believe that a local influence in regulation is key to developing online poker rooms that customers can trust and enjoy. Despite the obvious advantages of regulating online poker, it seems as if the Hawaiian government simply doesn’t have an interest in providing residents with a locally licensed and clearly legal online poker option.

Quick Background for Hawaiian Gambling

Gambling seems popular in Hawaii. Many of the news articles discussing Hawaii and gambling claim that Las Vegas is known as the “ninth island” of Hawaii. We can’t speak directly to the truth of that claim, but it doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch for a region with such strong gambling roots.

For example, horse racing was once the dominant form of entertainment among the Hawaiian elite. In fact, nearly a dozen race tracks called Hawaii home during the late 1800s and early 1900s. That trend died out in the 1950s, and with it went the last remnants of regulated gambling in Hawaii. Today, Hawaii is one of just two US states (along with Utah) that offer absolutely no regulated gambling.

Hawaii’s Regulated Gambling Industry

As Hawaii does not have any regulated gambling, there’s little to say on this score.

Hawaii’s Regulated Online Gambling Industry

Online gambling is also not regulated in any way by the government of Hawaii. The state did take some steps toward passing an online gambling bill in 2010, but that effort stalled and the prospects for regulated online gambling in Hawaii within the next few years seem slim at best.

All Poker and Gambling Laws by State

• September 30th, 2017

  There are only two states out of the 50 in America with no legalized gambling: Utah and Hawaii. The former has a deeply religious population and happily maintains its exception from the gambling culture of the United States. Hawaii, however, has abstained from joining the industry because of the precarious

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• When a construction worker at a Saipanese casino development died on site in late March, U.S. investigators raided the construction company’s headquarters. In the documents the FBI agents confiscated, they found evidence that hundreds of undocumented Chinese workers were a part of the project. In late April, U.S. prosectors filed

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When Did Gambling Become Illegal In Hawaii Five-0

Useful Sites for Hawaii Gambling Research

FindLaw: Hawaiian Gambling Law Overview – Guide to the basics of Hawaiian gambling law along with links to legal synopsis to all 50 states (not poker-specific).

When Did Gambling Become Illegal In Hawaii Five-o

History of Hawaiian Horse Racing – An in-depth look at the legal, social and cultural history of horse racing in Hawaii. Covers recent legislative attempts to bring legal betting to the state’s tracks.

Gambling in Hawaii and Utah – Scholarly paper from the Gaming Law Review and Economics journal. Covers the history and development of gambling in the only two states (Hawaii and Utah) that have no forms of regulated gambling whatsoever.

Hawaii’s Role in Poker’s Development

Relatively isolated from the rest of the United States and lacking a develop gambling industry, Hawaii has played a minor role in the history of poker. The state produced no World Series of Poker champions in 2012, and no poker players of national note (that we could uncover) hail from Hawaii. The one link from the newest US state to one of the oldest US games: Wikipedia claims that “Hawaii” is a hand nickname for QJ – because if you play it too much, you’ll end up losing about what a vacation to the islands costs.

Sources & Citations For This Article on Hawaii Online Poker