The Honolulu Police Department has confirmed that it has raided an illegal gambling room, recovering 16 machines.
An illegal gambling operation bust in Pearl City by the Honolulu Police Department saw 16 illegal machines seized, as well as $3,855 in cash. The officers executed a search warrant on a property near Hoolehua St. at approximately 5.30pm on Tuesday, June 24.
A man was arrested under suspicion of promoting gambling in the second degree and possession of a gambling device. He is believed to remain in custody with the Honolulu Police Department.
Crackdown on backroom gambling in Honolulu and throughout Hawai’i
This comes just a few short days after Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi officially signed three bills into law, all of which aim to curb the rise of illegal backroom gambling in the city.
Specifically, they allow the police and city agencies to shut down illegal gambling activities with increased powers than before, which may have been what opened the door for this operation.
For example, Bill 12 gave more powers to local police enforcement to allow for harder crackdowns on illegal gambling rooms, while Bill 13 adds more might to this push by giving landlords the option to allow the HPD to become the inspection agent to root out any backroom gambling occurring.
It’s unclear whether either of these bills directly fed into this operation but it does all tie into the wider attitude towards backroom gambling in Hawai’i and Honolulu specifically. Indeed, locals generally view gambling with caution at best, with attempts to legalize sports betting also getting stalled due to concerns about potential gambling-related harm.
Worries about human trafficking and the potential increase in drugs or other gambling-related crime are not perhaps unfounded, with similar issues on the rise throughout the US and around the world.
ReadWrite has contacted the Honolulu Police Department for further comment.
Featured image: Honolulu Police Department
