1X
The question before six panelists is whether Hawaii should legalize gambling, a debate given urgency by the state's budget difficulties. Linda Lingle, Mayor of Maui, argued that legalization would redistribute rather than generate new revenue, harm small businesses, and impose social costs that had not been adequately studied. U.S. Attorney Steve Alm contended that legalization would increase crime, including organized criminal activity and offenses by pathological gamblers unable to cover their debts. David Carey, president of Outrigger Enterprises, took a more open position, suggesting that a modest, Monte Carlo-style amenity could help Hawaii remain competitive with tourism destinations that had already introduced gaming. Joseph Toy, a hospitality consultant, reported that a survey of roughly 550 Hawaii adults found 42 percent in favor of legalized gaming. Bill Eadington, director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, argued that the economics of legal gambling tend to be positive while social harms are real but hard to measure, and he challenged the accuracy of crime statistics cited by opponents. Joe Souki, Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives, said the legislature intended to study the full impact on quality of life before taking action.
Transcript
Read or download the full transcript (.txt). Speaker labels were assigned automatically and may contain errors.
Companion newspaper commentaries
Commentaries by the guests, published in The Honolulu Advertiser around the broadcast.
