The surf’s not up on the day of the high school state championships in 2045, so we get off Skyline at Aloha Stadium, where Colt Brennan Field is temporarily covered by the Carissa Moore Wave Machine.
At the nearby Honolulu Hotel &Casino’s sports book, it is of course illegal to gamble on if Waialua will win its fifth straight state boys and seventh consecutive girls HHSAA surfing titles under coach John John Florence.
But you can certainly place a bet on who will be drafted as the first player for Hawaii’s new NFL expansion team by the ownership group headed by Jesse Sapolu and Rich Miano, general manager Ma‘a Tanuvasa and head coach Marcus Mariota.
Speaking of expansion, the New Aloha Stadium rebuild is finally completed with capacity for 60,000 — a far cry from the 25,000 when the facility was brand new and hosted its first University of Hawaii game in 2029.
OK, enough of that for now.
In the near future — starting Monday — bills concerning high school surfing, sports gambling and the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District have made it to the red zone. If they get across the goal line with Gov. Josh Green signing them into law or not — and in what form — depends in large part on what happens this week in House and Senate conferences.
House Bill 133 would appropriate funding to establish surfing as an interscholastic sport. This is way overdue, especially since the DOE approved surfing as an interscholastic sport 21 years ago, and the Maui Interscholastic League has run successful meets and championships since 2011.
Now the state’s four other leagues need to get on board(s).
Anyone who claims the sport is too dangerous needs to check out the MIL’s spotless safety record, and realize that the high school surfers won’t be asked to take on 30-footers at Waimea Bay. That would be akin to a high school football quarterback going up against the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line.
The private school Interscholastic League of Honolulu does not fall under the DOE umbrella, so it might need to generate more of its own funding to compete. But, as Moore said in 2022 in support of a similar bill, plenty of sponsors would pitch in. The former world champion and first winner of Olympic surfing gold is also a successful businesswoman, with many friends who are also successful, like Keith Amemiya. The president of the Downtown Athletic Club of Hawaii supported the bill three years ago with Moore, and is ready to put his considerable clout into play for prep surfing.
House Bill 1308 calls for Hawaii to allow sports gambling. It’s the first time a bill to legalize gambling has gotten this far in the state Legislature.
“Yes, for sure,” said Rep. Daniel Holt, who introduced the bill. “There have been dozens in the state’s history.”
The Senate passed the bill by a 15-10 margin, and there is plenty of community opposition.
“It has ratcheted up in recent weeks,” Holt said.”We’ve just got to keep pushing our message, which is (sports gambling) is already happening and the state should get the revenue.
“I agree with points that the people in opposition make, but this will help,” he said. “The problems caused by gambling are already running rampant. This will allow people who want to do it to have a safe place.”
If the bill passes as is, it would go into effect July 1. But a more realistic start date would be around the time of the next Super Bowl, Holt said.
That would allow more time to secure the four licensees allowed by the bill, and give the State Department of Law Enforcement more time to develop rules. The license fee of $250,000 was described as “low” by SBCAmericas.com, and at least one state official questioned if it would be profitable to the state with the 10% tax on profits.
Holt said he would propose higher fees, which sounds like a good idea to me. Hawaii is an untapped market and there would be a long line for operators — who of course must be thoroughly vetted.
I see this as I do high school surfing: something that many people consider fraught with peril when it’s the other way around. The control that comes with state law means education and treatment programs. As ocean safety is promoted and enhanced via surfing as a sanctioned high school sport, so is responsible wagering when control of gambling is taken away from criminals (and other states as it is very easy to place illegal bets online).
As it is hypocritical to support high school football but not surfing, the same is true when alcohol is legal but gambling is not.
The keyword here is guardrails. It is not in the interest of the friendly neighborhood bookie or loan shark to suggest their best customers attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings or get any other kind of help to fight their addiction. A significant part of the revenue generated would go to such programs.
Many say they fear the slippery slope. But that is why sports gambling should already be legal – Pandora’s box has already been open for a very long time.
Concerns that Waikiki would become a new Las Vegas strip are irrational — people won’t come to Hawaii specifically to gamble.
House Bills 300 and 1494 and Senate Bill 1589 are all related to $49.5 million that is part of the budget for the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District that is used for project development.
The $49.5 million is in HB 300, which is the state budget bill, and will be under review Monday. If the NASED appropriation is removed from HB 300, HB 1494 and SB 1589 include language that would allow NASED access to the $49.5 million.
For example, HB 1494 states as part of its purpose to “appropriate moneys from the stadium development special fund to the stadium authority for fiscal year 2025-2026, subject to the completion of specific project readiness conditions.”
House Bill 1007 can help NASED secure some of the $180 million needed for infrastructure, interim stadium manager and Stadium Authority board member Chris Sadayasu said. It authorizes the Hawaii Community Development Authority to engage in projects that “improve the state,” as NASED is considered to be.
“Another government agency that will help finance infrastructure is a plus,” Sadayasu said.
Stadium Authority board member Andrew Pereira also said passage of this bill would help NASED, and the people who live in the Halawa area.
“The new community district will bring tremendous value to local residents as the only true gathering place in Hawaii while generating millions of dollars in new property taxes for the city and millions more in general excise tax for the state,” Perreira said.
Another $25 million for infrastructure has been allocated by the City and County of Honolulu.
