A lot of Hawaiian lawmakers may have opinions on how to start up a casino industry in the state, but the decision of how to move forward will rest with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports the DHHL will have five years to decide if casinos are a good idea.

This next step in Hawaii’s hope for a casino industry comes as proposed amendments to Senate Bill 1321 would give them the responsibility. With the measure, the DHHL has until December 21, 2026 to decide if it was casinos in the state.

The proposed reason to have casinos in Hawaii is to help DHHL fund their Home Lands beneficiaries’ program. 28,000 Hawaiian natives are waiting to be allotted homes to return to on their ancestral lands.

Under the new proposed amendments, the DHHL would have to endorse casinos with “a super majority.” If the DHHL agrees casinos are the best idea, it would not automatically legalize casino gambling across the islands. Native land would be prohibited, said Senator Maile Shimabukuro.