Hawaii Online Poker Rooms
Is Poker Legal In Hawaii?
In-person poker rooms in Hawaii are illegal. Hawaii has some of the strictest gambling laws in the country, as Hawaii Penal Codes §712-1220 - §712-1232 prohibit any gambling activity, which includes lottery, casinos, sports betting, and any game of chance with money being wagered.
However, Hawaii residents can still play online poker at offshore poker sites since they operate in a legal gray area. These sites are unregulated by Hawaii and there aren’t any records of prosecution for residents playing online poker at internationally-regulated poker sites since the state goes after operators, not individual players.
Land-based poker rooms at casinos, private poker clubs, charitable poker, bar poker leagues are all prohibited, with “social gambling” listed as the only exception to Hawaii’s strict gambling laws. There are five conditions that must be met for an act of gambling to fall under “social gambling” under HRS §712-1231 and the Senate Standing Committee Report No. 806 from Session Laws 1973.
- That all players engage as contestants on "equal terms"
- That no profiting be involved--other than the player's winnings
- That it should not be conducted at certain enumerated places, such as hotels, school grounds, public parks, any business establishment, etc.
- That no minor be involved in the game
- That the gambling activity is not bookmaking
What Is The Legal Poker Age In Hawaii?
Since Hawaii doesn’t have any poker legislation in place, there isn’t a recognized legal poker age. Internationally-regulated poker sites that accept Hawaii players require users to be 18 years or older.
Any Hawaii resident that’s 18+ can play online poker at Bovada, Ignition, BetOnline. Other states with poker that have locally-regulated online poker require players to be 21+, but all three of these options have daily No Limit Hold’em tournaments and cash games for 18+ players.
Live Poker Rooms In Hawaii
There aren’t any live poker rooms in Hawaii due to state gambling laws. Hawaii online poker sites are the only way to legally play poker in Hawaii.
Residents must travel to the mainland U.S. for states with poker rooms like Nevada, California, or Oregon on the west coast. Hawaiian cities that are closest to a poker room have an airport like Honolulu on Oahu, Kahului on Mui, Kona on the Big Island, and Lihue on Kauai.
Closest Live Poker Rooms
The closest live poker rooms to Hawaii are the poker rooms on the Las Vegas Strip. Hawaiians have a strong presence in Nevada, with Las Vegas having the highest Hawaiian population outside of the island.
According to KCBX News Hawaiians refer to Las Vegas, Nevada as the “Ninth Hawaiian Island” and more than 300,000 islanders visit Las Vegas per year.
The California Hotel & Casino on Fremont Street is the strongest connection to Hawaii through historical ties with former owner Sam Boyd, who created the Hawaiian interest in Las Vegas during the 1970s. The hotel is partnered with Vacations Hawaii and provides authentic island food, island-style drinks, and Hawaiian community while providing the Las Vegas experience.
Fremont Street is home to legendary Las Vegas poker rooms like the Golden Nugget. They offer 13 poker tables throughout the year, but increase to 20 cash game tables for events and even 60 tournament tables when Grand Poker Series Events are ongoing.
Poker players in Maui, Kauai, Oahu, or the Big Island travelling to Las Vegas will want to visit the Bellagio. The Bellagio is one of the biggest poker rooms in Nevada with 40 tables for World Poker Tour (WPT) events, daily tournaments, and cash games.
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Can You Play Poker At Home For Money?
You can play poker at home for money in Hawaii as long as the game follows social gambling conditions. If the game is in a private residence with no players collecting a profit outside of poker winnings and it isn’t publicly advertised, it’s legal to host a home poker game in Hawaii.
Can I play On PokerStars In Hawaii?
PokerStars is unavailable in Hawaii and only accept players from three states with poker (Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey). The same goes for other state-regulated poker sites like World Series of Poker (WSOP), BetMGM Poker, Borgata Online, and PartyPoker.
The only Hawaii online poker options available are offshore poker sites. These sites accept crypto and credit card deposit methods for real money online poker in Hawaii.
Is Ignition Poker Legal In Hawaii?
Ignition Poker operates in Hawaii through a legal gray area. They’re a trusted and reliable online poker site with a generous poker welcome bonus up to $1,500.
There aren’t any records of prosecution for Hawaii players using Ignition or any other internationally-regulated poker site. Hawaii gaming enforcement targets operators that promote gambling or operate a gambling place, not players who play online poker.
Is Bovada Legal In Hawaii?
Similarly to Ignition, Bovada is legal in Hawaii through a gray area. Bovada Poker has offered Texas Hold’em poker in Hawaii for over a decade without any legal intervention.
This Hawaii online poker site is highly regarded for their range of poker games and tournaments that offer $2 million in guaranteed prizes every week. Bovada offers No-Limit, Fixed-Limit, and Pot-Limit variations of Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, and more poker games in Hawaii.
Is BetOnline Poker Available in Hawaii?
BetOnline Poker is another excellent online poker site that locals can trust. They’ve been online since 2004 and offer one of the best real money poker welcome bonuses available.
New players at BetOnline get their first deposit matched 100% up to $1,000 and eight days of free tournament tickets. These free tournament tickets, 21 in total, give Hawaii poker players a shot at playing in a $100,000 guaranteed tournament.