Hawaii Senator Stanley Chang has defended his proposal to ban gambling advertisements promoting Nevada casinos.
Senate Bill 935, put forward by Chang, initially singled out gambling ads from casinos in Nevada, but that has now been removed with approval from the Senate’s Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection. The Committee voted 3-1 in favor of forwarding the Bill to the full Senate.
Chang Finds No Issues with Banning Gambling Ads from Nevada Casinos
While the specific mention of Nevada is now omitted from the Bill over fears the said provision could be unconstitutional, Chang believes an advertising ban on popular gambling destinations like Nevada would not encounter any legal issues considering that Hawaii is one of only two US states where all forms of gambling are considered illegal. It also does not have a state-operated lottery.
Chang said his proposal to ban gambling ads specific to Nevada casinos is not intended to discourage locals from visiting the gambling hub, admitting that he has been to Las Vegas multiple times, though not for gambling purposes as he is not a gambler.
Hawaii Dealing with Problem Gambling
Chang said he wants to correct the false perception that because there is no gambling in Hawaii, residents don’t experience any gambling-related harm. He said problem gambling is a real issue in the state but there are currently no funds dedicated to addressing it. That would change if his Bill passes both Houses and ultimately gets approval from Democratic Governor Josh Green.
