STATE TRACKER · HI
Sweepstakes casinos in Hawaii
Current status
Restricted
State action limits how sweepstakes casinos can operate here.
State action limits how operators run here, so what one offers can differ from its national terms. Check the effective date above and the operator's own terms for this state before you register. See the operators we track
- Sweeps Coins (SC) redemption
- Limited by state action
- Gold Coin (GC) free play
- Generally not targeted. 14 of 121 operators we track are recorded as not accepting Hawaii
- Minimum age
- 18+
- Age floor source
- HRS § 577-1 (Age of majority)
PRIMARY-SOURCE NOTE
Hawaii's gambling code is silent on sweepstakes; a 2026 machine bill stopped in the House
What the law does
Under section 712-1220, a person gambles when staking or risking something of value on a contest of chance, or on a future event outside that person's control, with an understanding that someone will receive something of value for a certain outcome1. It counts money, property, tokens or articles exchangeable for either, and credit or promises tied to money, property, a service or entertainment as something of value1. Section 712-1223 makes knowing participation in any gambling activity a misdemeanor2. Promoting gambling in the first degree, section 712-1221, is a class B felony; one route is recklessly receiving more than $1,000 played in a lottery, mutuel or other gambling scheme within seven days3. Negligently advancing or profiting from gambling is promoting in the second degree under section 712-1222, a class C felony4. Act 111 of 2022 set those grades, raising each promoting offense by one grade2. The words sweepstakes, online and internet appear in none of these sections.
What has happened since
In 2026 the Legislature took up SB 3281, whose SD1 draft would have created the offense of promoting an illegal electronic gambling device, a class C felony, and defined that device to include a sweepstakes gaming machine or similar electronic device awarding credits, gift cards or anything of value based wholly or partly on chance6. Its remedies ran against physical premises: nuisance actions, closure for up to one year, and civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation for owners and landlords who do not act after a law enforcement notice6. The Senate passed it on March 10, 2026, by 25 votes to none, and on March 18, 2026 the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs committee recommended deferral, with no later action in the status history5. Our event history for Hawaii holds no dated entry and no operator exit. That leaves the operator records, which list 14 of the tracked operators as closed to Hawaii players.
What is still open
The first question sits in the commentary to section 712-1220: a 1973 amendment removed "a privilege of playing at a game or scheme without charge" from the definition of something of value, while Attorney General Opinion 16-1 read a daily fantasy entry fee as a stake despite its label1. Where a Sweeps Coin reached through a free-entry route falls between those readings has not been tested in any record we hold. The second question is reach. The SD1 text and its committee report describe devices and premises, and neither one says whether a device definition of that kind could cover a website or app7.
- Enforcement search
- Our tracked event history for Hawaii has no dated entry, and none of the statute pages or bill documents read for this note records an agency order or court ruling against an online sweepstakes operator.
Sources for this note
- HRS section 712-1220, definitions for the gambling offenses (Hawaii State Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
- HRS section 712-1223, gambling (Hawaii State Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
- HRS section 712-1221, promoting gambling in the first degree (Hawaii State Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
- HRS section 712-1222, promoting gambling in the second degree (Hawaii State Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
- SB 3281 (2026) measure status feed (Hawaii State Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
- SB 3281 SD1 (2026) bill text (Hawaii State Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
- Senate Judiciary Standing Committee Report 2890 on SB 3281 SD1 (Hawaii State Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
Sources rechecked 2026-09-28. Next scheduled review 2026-12-28.
What the law says
§712-1223 makes knowingly participating in gambling a misdemeanor; advancing or profiting from gambling activity is promoting gambling under §712-1221 (class C felony) and §712-1222 (misdemeanor). Liability turns on the statutory 'consideration' element, which dual-currency sweeps structure around via free/no-purchase entry.
Operators and Hawaii
Because of Hawaii's status, we don't list or link operator promotions for this state.
14 of the 121 operators we track are recorded as not accepting Hawaii players, and 8 of those records cite the operator's own terms.
53 operators we track do not list Hawaii among excluded states in the terms we last read, dated June 10, 2026 to July 17, 2026.
Of the remaining records that do not exclude Hawaii, 50 carry over from our bulk backfill without a terms citation, 3 run a site with no observed Sweeps Coins program and 1 rests on the operator's site configuration or other records.
How this classification was reached
Show the record, the citation and the method
What the Hawaii classification rests on
- Source date
- Not recorded
- Last human review
- August 9, 2026
- Effective date
- Not recorded
- Basis of classification
- statutory
Where the operator counts come from
Of the 107 records that do not exclude Hawaii, 32 cite the operator's own terms or rules, 8 come from a backfill of the operator's terms, 1 comes from the operator's site configuration, 13 are inferred because the terms do not list Hawaii, 50 come from our bulk backfill without a terms citation and 3 reflect site availability with no observed Sweeps Coins program. Of the 14 exclusion records, 6 cite the operator's own terms or rules, 2 come from a backfill of the operator's terms and 6 come from our bulk backfill without a terms citation.
Citation as stored
HRS ch. 712 (§712-1220 'gamble'/consideration defs; §712-1223 gambling offense); SB 3281 (2026) passed Senate 25-0 then DEFERRED in House Judiciary, died at sine die (2026-05-08).
Method
Methodology · Corrections · Changelog · How to read a state page
Hawaii questions
Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Hawaii?
State action limits how sweepstakes casinos can operate here. Authority: HRS ch. 712.
Did Hawaii's 2026 bill on sweepstakes gaming machines become law?
No. The Senate passed SB 3281 SD1 on March 10, 2026, the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs committee recommended deferring it on March 18, 2026, and the measure's status history lists no later action.
Which operators accept Hawaii players?
14 of the 121 operators we track are recorded as not accepting Hawaii players, and 8 of those records cite the operator's own terms. Trust Score leaderboard →
This page is information, not legal advice. Laws and thresholds change quickly, so confirm with the operator and your state attorney general before depositing, or consult a lawyer. Last verified August 9, 2026. Send a correction.