BetMGM Hawaii — Legit? Its Own $20M Pitch, No License

BetMGM Hawaii: No License, But BetMGM Is Asking for One

BetMGM Hawaii is not a product anyone can open — there is no app, no retail counter, and no license for BetMGM or any operator to apply for. What sets this page apart from most other restricted states is that BetMGM is not a passive bystander here: company representatives have testified at the Hawaii legislature in favor of legalizing it, and BetMGM itself put a dollar figure on what the state is leaving on the table.

Legal status in Hawaii

Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 712, Part IV prohibits gambling with almost no exceptions. Section 712-1223 treats simple play as a petty misdemeanor, and Section 712-1222 — "promoting gambling in the second degree," aimed at anyone running or profiting from a game rather than just playing one — became a class C felony under 2022's Act 111. Hawaii also has no federally recognized tribal land under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, so there is no compact-based side door the way there is in states like Oklahoma or California. Nothing in that statute carves out an exception for BetMGM or any other licensed operator, so the company has no application to file and no fine to risk by staying out.

State gambling authority: None. Hawaii has never created a gaming commission, lottery board, or any other body to license or tax gambling, because the legislature has never legalized anything for one to oversee. The closest thing to a regulator weighing in on sports betting bills has been the Attorney General's office and the Department of the Attorney General's testimony against expansion, not a licensing authority.

BetMGM Hawaii does not exist as a product — no app, no retail sportsbook counter, nothing a resident can actually open. That alone puts Hawaii in the same bucket as Utah: one of two US states with zero legal gambling of any kind. What makes this page different is who is asking for that to change. BetMGM is not a distant brand waiting out the ban from the sidelines; its lobbyists have shown up at the state capitol, testified in favor of legalization, and put a number on what the state is losing by saying no.

Is BetMGM Legal in Hawaii?

No, and the statute leaves almost no room to argue otherwise. Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 712, Part IV criminalizes gambling broadly: Section 712-1223 makes simple play a petty misdemeanor, while Section 712-1222 — “promoting gambling in the second degree,” the charge aimed at whoever runs or profits from a game rather than just plays one — was elevated to a class C felony by Act 111 in 2022. Hawaii also has no federally recognized tribal land under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, so there is no compact-based opening the way Oklahoma or California have. BetMGM has nothing to apply for here, because the legislature has never built a licensing process for anyone to use.

BetMGM’s own money is on the table: company representatives testified for 2025’s HB 1308 alongside DraftKings and estimated legalization could bring Hawaii $10-20 million a year in tax revenue. The Honolulu Police Department and the Attorney General’s office argued the opposite, citing problem-gambling risk, and the bill stalled.

A 2026 Bill That Advanced, Then Didn’t

House Bill 2570 went further than HB 1308 did — a six-operator, online-only framework with a 15% tax on gross gaming revenue and a $500,000 license fee, cleared the House Economic Development & Technology Committee in February 2026 despite dozens of witnesses testifying against it. Lawmakers then amended the bill’s effective date to July 1 of the year 3000, a move that keeps it technically alive while guaranteeing it changes nothing this decade. Its Senate companion, SB 3303, stalled in the Judiciary Committee that April. Governor Josh Green has not endorsed it; Senate President Ronald Kouchi has voiced reservations about the social cost of expanding gambling access.

Is BetMGM Legit, Even With Nothing Operating Here?

As a company, yes. BetMGM is a 50/50 joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Entain, licensed and operating in 23 states plus Washington D.C., and it posted roughly $2.8 billion in net revenue in 2025. That is a real, checkable track record — it just has no jurisdiction over Hawaii, because Hawaii has never licensed BetMGM or any competitor to operate here.

Is BetMGM Safe to Use in Hawaii?

There is no product to be safe or unsafe, which is its own kind of answer. Hawaii has no gaming commission, no licensing body, and no regulator who could audit a BetMGM account even if one existed. Worth noting for anyone searching around this: unlike DraftKings and FanDuel, which both launched CFTC-regulated prediction-market products that run nationwide regardless of state gambling law, BetMGM has not brought a comparable federal workaround to market. There is currently no legitimate BetMGM-branded option of any kind in Hawaii — and anything claiming otherwise is not BetMGM.

Who It Fits

No one, today. BetMGM is a legitimate, regulated operator where it is actually licensed, and Hawaii is simply not one of those places yet — despite BetMGM’s own lobbying push to change that. Readers here get an honest no rather than a workaround. If gambling ever stops being entertainment, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

BetMGM Hawaii — Frequently Asked Questions

Is BetMGM legal in Hawaii?

No. Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 712, Part IV bans gambling outright, with simple play a petty misdemeanor and running or profiting from a game a class C felony since 2022. There is no licensing framework for BetMGM, or any sportsbook, to operate under, online or in person.

Did BetMGM actually lobby for Hawaii sports betting?

Yes. BetMGM testified in support of 2025's HB 1308 alongside DraftKings, and the company publicly estimated that a legal online market could generate roughly $10-20 million a year in tax revenue for the state. The Honolulu Police Department and the Attorney General's office pushed back on addiction and enforcement grounds, and the bill did not become law. A 2026 successor, HB 2570, advanced further than any prior attempt before lawmakers amended its own effective date out to July 1 of the year 3000 — a procedural move that keeps the bill alive on paper while changing nothing for the foreseeable future.

Is BetMGM legit, even with nothing operating in Hawaii?

As a company, yes. BetMGM is a 50/50 joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Entain, licensed in 23 states plus Washington D.C., and posted roughly $2.8 billion in net revenue in 2025. None of that track record reaches Hawaii, because Hawaii has never licensed BetMGM or anyone else.

Is BetMGM safe to use in Hawaii?

There is nothing to use, so there is nothing for a Hawaii regulator to oversee, audit, or field a complaint about — Hawaii has no gaming commission at all. Anyone offering a "BetMGM Hawaii" product outside an official MGM/Entain channel is not BetMGM.

Does BetMGM offer a prediction-market workaround in Hawaii, like DraftKings or FanDuel do?

No. DraftKings and FanDuel both launched CFTC-regulated event-contracts products that sidestep state gambling law and run nationwide, Hawaii included. BetMGM has not brought a comparable federally regulated product to market, so unlike those two competitors, there is currently no BetMGM-branded option of any kind for a Hawaii resident to use.

When might BetMGM become legal in Hawaii?

Not soon. HB 2570 cleared one House committee in February 2026 over heavy opposition before being amended to take effect in the year 3000, and its Senate companion, SB 3303, stalled in the Judiciary Committee that April. Hawaii sports betting bills have died in committee nearly every session since 2018 despite BetMGM and other operators actively lobbying for one to pass; the earliest another serious attempt can move is the 2027 session.