Despite the fact that the state of Hawaii specifically outlaws online gambling, and that violations are punishable by law, Hawaiians spend thousands every day in online casinos based in territories around the world.  One good reason why this may be the case, is that of all the obvious occurrences that Hawaiian citizens are gambling at online casino sites and poker rooms, no arrests or prosecutions have ever been made.

Five other states in America have specific laws that ban internet betting, including Louisiana, South Dakota, Michigan, Illinois and Oregon.  The ironic thing is that only one person in the history of online gambling (albeit a short one) has ever been arrested for wagering over the internet.  And of all the possible scenarios, the arrest was made for winning to much money.  A man in South Dakota had won a nice online jackpot worth over $300,000, which South Dakota law says surpasses the $500 limit of permissible winnings.

In Hawaii, the case is no different.  Although police have increased their overall efforts at curtailing gambling in general, all of the some 200+ arrests that were made in 2005, were related to land-based gambling, such as cock fighting.

Another reason why state officials have not made online gambling a top priority is that Federal law often creates an ambiguous confrontation with state law, and that the investigations needed to track down online gambling violations can be very exhaustive and difficult.

In the meantime, online gambling continues to bring in billions of US dollars, and is expected to reach over $15 billion in 2005 alone.  As for the possibility of future cases against Hawaiian online casino-goers, it is highly unlikely according to the Hawaiian Police Department.