Two people were arrested and 11 gaming machines were seized Wednesday after Honolulu police raided an illegal gambling operation on Kalauokalani Way, where officers also recovered cash and illegal narcotics. The bust adds another entry to HPD’s increasingly busy campaign against hidden game rooms across Oʻahu. Follow-up investigations tied to the recovered narcotics are now underway.
According to a post from the Honolulu Police Department, officers executed a search warrant at about 4:30 p.m. A 64-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man were arrested for promoting gambling in the second degree and possession of a gambling device. Police said they recovered more than $3,500 in cash along with the machines and narcotics.
HPD Says Gambling Raids Are Part Of A Larger Strategy
The operation was led by HPD’s Narcotics/Vice Division Gambling Detail with assistance from the District 1 Crime Reduction Unit, District 1 Bike Detail, Airport Operations Group, Forfeiture Detail and Specialized Services Division. Maj. Jerome Pacarro said the continued takedown operations are only one part of HPD’s overall strategy. The department said additional investigations related to the recovered narcotics have been initiated.
The raid came amid a broader crackdown that has already reached dozens of locations. Hawaii News Now reported on July 14 that HPD had raided 30 game rooms in 2026, seized 451 devices and arrested four people in gambling-related cases at that point. Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting had also targeted 34 properties, with roughly $6.65 million in fines issued against properties tied to alleged illegal game-room activity.
Honolulu police have been serving similar warrants throughout the year. In May, HPD said a raid on a Kekaulike Street game room led to the arrests of a 59-year-old woman and 35-year-old man, along with the seizure of 12 machines, drugs and $5,490 in cash, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
What The Arrests Mean Legally
Hawaii law defines possession of a gambling device as knowingly possessing or handling a device intended to advance gambling activity that is not social gambling; the offense is listed as a misdemeanor under HRS 712-1226. The arrests are allegations, not convictions, and HPD’s announcement did not say whether prosecutors had filed formal charges.
