Boosting City Safety: City Council to Deliberate on Restricting Gaming Rooms

The Honolulu City Council will be addressing the issue of illegal gaming rooms on Wednesday with the consideration of two bills.

Bills 57 and 58 aim to assist law enforcement in shutting down the approximately 100 gambling parlors that operate on the island of Oahu every day.

Despite efforts by the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), only an average of 20 of these operations are closed each year.

When local gambling parlors are closed down by the police, they often reopen quickly, sometimes in the same location and under new management. These establishments attract illegal activities such as drugs, weapons, and violence.

The purpose of these bills is to coordinate the efforts of HPD with other city agencies, such as the Department of Planning and Permitting and the Corporation Counsel, to target the landlords who provide properties for these game rooms.

Bill 57 grants the Department of Planning and Permitting and the Corporation Counsel the power to take action against landlords whose properties promote unsafe conditions and pose a threat to public health, safety, and welfare.

If passed, Bill 57 would allow the Department of Planning and Permitting to impose fines of up to $1,000 per day, totaling up to $150,000, on landlords. It would also enable the Corporation Counsel to take legal action against any landlord who allows game rooms on their property.

Similarly, if passed, Bill 58 would authorize HPD officers designated by the Department of Planning and Permitting to impose penalties for violations of building codes, fire codes, and land use ordinances. Additionally, the bill would allow for the demolition of buildings or structures constructed without the necessary permits.

Council members Tyler Dos Santos-Tam and Andria Tupola announced the introduction of these bills during a news conference on September 20. The bills are modeled after similar efforts in Portland, Oregon.

To demonstrate the need for these measures, the news conference was held across the street from a building at 2406 Kalihi St., which was raided by the police on July 27. The second floor of the building, which houses a liquor store and a poke bowl eatery on the ground floor, was found to be operating as an illegal gaming establishment. The basement of a nearby home owned by the same property owner was also being used for another game room.

Tupola, who represents the Leeward Coast, highlighted the issue of illegal gambling parlors hidden within residential neighborhoods, particularly in places like Waianae. She explained that these operations have been associated with frequent shootings due to the large amounts of cash involved and resulting confrontations.

According to Police Maj. Roland Turner, the measures aim to establish a more effective approach in addressing the issue. Existing measures have proven inadequate, as even though game rooms are shut down, they reemerge with different operators.

In some cases, illegal game rooms may be connected to organized crime, particularly in areas like the Leeward Coast.

Other topics to be discussed during the Council’s meeting include legislation to potentially ban flavored tobacco products, provide tax incentives for film studio facilities, and expand the use of a restricted parking zone program in Kalihi Valley.

The Council’s regular meeting will take place at Kapolei Hale on 1000 Uluohia St., Kapolei, in Conference Rooms A, B, and C, starting at 10 a.m.