Hawaii airports considering slot machine gambling
A Hawaii lawmaker is proposing allowing the state’s international gateway airports to permit slot machine gambling to help fund airport infrastructure projects.
State Rep. Cindy Evans wants a bill passed which would let departing passengers on international flights gamble while waiting to board aircraft.
"Why not allow the visitor in their last few hours, spend their money in Hawaii and and leave their money in Hawaii, why not allow them to have a slot machine and gamble," Evans said.
"This is about finding money to support the airports. I think it’s out of the box. I think it’s very unique and different, because it’s not about gambling in Hawaii."
Evans, the House majority leader, said it would be available only for travelers in secure international terminals with a boarding pass for an onward overseas destination.
Evans says she has blocked all previous gambling bills in Hawaii but believes the usual fears of increased crime and gambling addiction do not apply in this case.
However the Hawaii Tourism Authority has opposed the move.
"Legalized gambling would not enhance our destination brand, but rather dilute it and distract from what makes our Hawaiian Islands unlike anywhere else in the world," said HTA CEO Ronald Williams.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Marginal increase for New York City tourism in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments