Hawaii, pressured by the effects of Covid-19, may finally be willing to consider legalized gambling. Several bills have now been proposed to help shore up the budget, using gambling to bring in new tax revenues.

House Speaker Scott Saiki has proposed House Bill 359, which would permit the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) to operate one casino resort. Funds generated would help native Hawaiians move back to ancestral lands, which with budget deficits expected, won’t be coming from anywhere else.

State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole proposed a similar bill for the upper house, but doesn’t seem convinced it’s a good idea yet. “We should have a discussion whether the casino plan is good, viable policy for the state to consider,” he said. “Given this budget situation, it’s not likely that the department will be likely to expect funding to accomplish that. … My priority is on addressing the wait list.”

The wait list he speaks of currently numbers at 28,000 native Hawaiians. Through the DHHL, they would be returned to their native lands to return to fishing, farming, or simply to have a home.