Nearly 60% of likely Hawaii voters participating in a recent poll believe gambling should remain illegal across the Aloha State, according to a Feb. 1 CivilBeat.com report.
The Honolulu-based news website conducted an automated telephone survey of 1,358 likely voters last month, working in conjunction with the Merriman River Group, an election-management firm, and found that 62% of the respondents were also opposed to the idea of building casinos in Waikiki.
On Jan. 20, State Sen. Clayton Hee introduced a bill designed to create a Hawaii Gaming Control Commission and establish a 20-year license for a stand-alone casino in Waikiki.
A number of ultimately unsuccessful bills aimed at legalizing and regulating gaming have been introduced in recent years in the Hawaii legislature. Hawaii and Utah are the only states that do not allow any form of state-sanctioned gambling.
For full results of the poll, visit www.slideshare.net/civilbeat/civil-beat-january-2012-poll-gambling.