Hawaii considers the possibility of allowing casinos

Promoters of the measure say that it will generate jobs and additional incomes to this economy that is so dependable on tourism.

It is said that US tourists could leave Las Vegas behind if they have the chance to combine roulette with immaculate beaches. And strong Asian bettors could also gamble there.

Casinos would also receive hundreds of thousands of residents in Hawaii that travell six hours to Las Vegas to make bets. Among the local citizens,  Las Vegas is known as the ninth Hawaiian island and Nevada hotels offer food and other services specifically oriented to Hawaiians.

"People like to gamble. Hawaiians are players by nature", expressed Ricky Graves, an Honolulu resident that travels twice or three times a year to Las Vegas. Gaves is afraid that the casino presence in Hawaii could ruin entire families because its member would gamble everything they have.

Those who are against games of chance have demanded the state legislative body to prevent the approval of casinos so the islands may keep their status as a touristic site addressed to families, without the scourge that usually accompany bets: vices, delinquency and drugs.

"People does not come to Hawaii to be locked playing in a casino", declared Dianne Kay, president of the Coalition against the Games of Chance Legalization in Hawaii. "It would be sad if we destroy the nice environment we have here".

"People in Hawaii love gambling, but they know it is not a very good idea to legalize it", comments Dennis Arakaki, director of the Catholic Family Forum in Hawaii. It is difficult to calculate exactly the influence of gaming in Hawaii nowadays, says Mayor Susan Dowsett from Honolulu Police Department, which has arrested 40 people due to illegal gaming, and in 2009 started 65 penal fines due to this vice.

Games of chance supporters deny that the activity generates delinquency, and emphasize that; instead, it would generate employments and would boost the economy.