Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 712-1221 (2026)

  Promoting gambling in the first degree

✓ current as of July 2026
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     §712-1221  Promoting gambling in the first degree.  (1)  A person commits the offense of promoting gambling in the first degree if the person recklessly advances or profits from gambling activity by:

     (a)  Engaging in bookmaking to the extent that the person receives or accepts in any seven-day period more than five bets totaling more than $500;

     (b)  Receiving in connection with a lottery, or mutuel scheme or enterprise, money or written records from a person other than a player whose chances or plays are represented by such money or records; or

     (c)  Receiving or having become due and payable in connection with a lottery, mutuel, or other gambling scheme or enterprise, more than $1,000 in any seven-day period played in the scheme or enterprise.

     (2)  Promoting gambling in the first degree is a class B felony. [L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; am L 1973, c 201, pt of §1; am L 1983, c 161, §1; am L 1987, c 83, §1; gen ch 1992; am L 2022, c 111, §4]

 

Revision Note

 

  In subsection (1)(a), "or" deleted pursuant to §23G-15.

 

Case Notes

 

  Although it may have been error admitting into evidence, as expert opinion under HRE rule 702, officer's testimony concerning §712-1231(b), the social gambling defense, where defendant was not entitled to this defense in a prosecution for promoting gambling in the first degree under subsection (1)(c), error was harmless.  92 H. 98 (App.), 987 P.2d 996 (1999).

 

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases, 1980–2015 · leading case: State v. Yip, 987 P.2d 996 (Haw. App. 1999).
State v. Yip, 987 P.2d 996 (Haw. App. 1999). · cites it 18× “HRS § 712-1221 (emphasis added.) Therefore, as necessitated by the statutory definitions of the respective offenses, the trial court properly instructed the jury with respect to the knowing state of mind for the principal, in addition to the intentional state of mind for the…”
Carlisle ex rel. State v. Ten Thousand Four Hundred Forty-Seven Dollars in United States Currency ($10,447.00), 89 P.3d 823 (Haw. 2004). · cites it 14× “7 The search warrant was based upon an affidavit by Detective Ahlo, 8 and this affidavit provided sufficient information to justify issuance of a search warrant.”
State v. Jumila, 950 P.2d 1201 (Haw. 1998). · cites it 4× “4; Interference with the Operator of a Public Transit Vehicle, HRS § 711-1112; Promoting Prostitution in the First Degree, HRS § 712-1202; Promoting Prostitution in the Second Degree, HRS § 712-1203; Promoting Gambling in the First Degree, HRS § 712-1221; Promoting Gambling…”
Marsland v. Pang, 701 P.2d 175 (Haw. App. 1985). · cites it 3× “4 At the time the complaint was filed, the maximum penalties for the various alleged offenses were as follows: Offense Penalty HRS § 712-1221 Promoting gambling Io Class C felony 5 years’ imprisonment (§ 706-660(3)) or $5,000 fine (§ 706-640(2)) HRS § 712-1222 Promoting gambling…”
State v. Kanda, 620 P.2d 1072 (Haw. 1980). · cites it 5× “2 Paragraph (l)(a) of this section reads as follows: § 712-1221 Promoting gambling in the first degree.”
State v. Balauro, 828 P.2d 267 (Haw. 1992). · cites it 2× “*72 On March 19, 1990, defendant was indicted for Promoting Gambling in the First Degree, HRS § 712-1221 (Supp. 1990), and Possession of a Gambling Device, HRS § 712-1226 (1985).”
State v. Auld., 361 P.3d 471 (Haw. 2015). “8 relating to identity theft in the third degree; section 708-852 relating to forgery in the second degree; section 708-854 relating to criminal possession of a forgery device; section 708-875 relating to trademark counterfeiting; section 710-1071 relating to intimidating a…”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 712-1221(1) — 1 case
Carlisle ex rel. State v. Ten Thousand Four Hundred Forty-Seven Dollars in United States Currency ($10,447.00), 89 P.3d 823 (Haw. 2004). “7 The search warrant was based upon an affidavit by Detective Ahlo, 8 and this affidavit provided sufficient information to justify issuance of a search warrant.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 712-1221(2) — 1 case
State v. Kanda, 620 P.2d 1072 (Haw. 1980). “2 Paragraph (l)(a) of this section reads as follows: § 712-1221 Promoting gambling in the first degree.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 712-1221(l)(a) — 1 case
State v. Kanda, 620 P.2d 1072 (Haw. 1980). “2 Paragraph (l)(a) of this section reads as follows: § 712-1221 Promoting gambling in the first degree.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 712-1221(l)(c) — 1 case
State v. Yip, 987 P.2d 996 (Haw. App. 1999). “HRS § 712-1221 (emphasis added.) Therefore, as necessitated by the statutory definitions of the respective offenses, the trial court properly instructed the jury with respect to the knowing state of mind for the principal, in addition to the intentional state of mind for the…”
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