Hawaii could soon adopt its first legal act on the subject of online poker and internet gambling. Right now, the island is one of many US states where gambling is not legalized.

The bill proposal has been introduced to the State Senate and if put into effect it will provide a legal framework for the further regulation of online betting and other gambling games such as casino games and lottery.

However, the bill doesn’t regulate sports betting which means the islanders and all those who visit Hawaii wouldn’t be able to bet on sports.

According to the law, the State of Hawaii will be obliged to establish the Hawaii Internet Lottery and Gaming Corporation which will be responsible for monitoring online gambling activities and protecting the rights of the consumers. The latter is the main reason this law needs to be adopted, said the sen. Espero, who introduced the bill, since the lawlessness in this area opens the doors to potential criminal activities which can’t be sanctioned because there is no legal basis for it.

The proposed bill is very similar to the acts already in effect in other parts of the United States. As in those legal acts, the state will be responsible for issuing a gambling licence to interested parties. Online gambling will not be allowed to those under the age of 18.

The only three states where online gambling activities are legal are Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey and they will soon be joined by Pennsylvania, New York, California, and Massachusetts.

Unlike Pennsylvania, who is the closest to adopting the legal act of this kind and expected to do so during the first quarter of this year, Hawaii is making baby steps in the process of legalizing the online gambling activities.

It should be noted that similar attempts were made in the past but the bill simply didn’t have the sufficient support of the legislators. It remains to be seen whether the latest attempt will produce better results.