Posted on: Friday, May 25, 2001

Cayetano suggests putting gambling on ballot

By Bruce Dunford
Associated Press

Gov. Ben Cayetano says the issue of legalizing gambling in Hawai'i "should be put to the people" as a constitutional amendment on next year's ballot.

Hawai'i is one of only three states without legal gambling.

"Let the people decide in the 2002 elections whether they want to allow one or two exclusive licenses for gaming," Cayetano said. "If the people say no, then that settles the issue forever. If they say yes, then we should make the most of it."

Lawmakers could propose a constitutional amendment saying, for example, exclusive licenses would be allowed for a 20-year period, leaving details to the Legislature, he said.

"That might be the better way to resolve this issue rather than the legislators struggle with it," Cayetano said.

The governor said he didn't intend to propose such legislation.

Hawai'i's lawmakers have been considering various legalized gambling proposals for decades, including land-based casinos, shipboard casinos, horse and dog racing, charity bingo and a state lottery.

All have been rejected. The other states with no form of legalized commercial gambling are Utah and Tennessee.

The subject of legalized gambling came up at yesterday's groundbreaking for Marriott Vacation Club International's 750-unit Ko Olina Beach Club.

Responding to questions from reporters, Cayetano said he thought Sun International, the developer of the huge and lavish Atlantis Resort and Casino at Paradise Island in the Bahamas, was still interested in coming to Hawai'i.

Earlier this year, officials from Sun International briefed legislative leaders on their proposal for an $800 million resort-casino on one of the vacant properties at Ko Olina, earmarking gambling-tax revenues for college scholarships.

Also making a pitch for an exclusive license was a Detroit-based investment group, Holomua Hawaii, which proposed two gambling casinos on O'ahu.

"With every newspaper against it, and the churches and all of that, there's going to be lively debate on this issue, and I think people will sit down and reflect on whether they want gaming or not," Cayetano said.