I have long suspected that there is big money behind the Hawaiian Sovereignty movement. Turn the Hawaiians into the equivalent of an Indian tribe and bring in casino gambling. Seems to make a lot of sense from a financial standpoint.
As I understand it, if a state allows any kind of legal gambling—lottery, casinos, card rooms, maybe even bingo, then the state cannot outlaw tribal gambling. I believe Hawaii has a complete ban on legal gambling, so the Hawaiian ‘tribe’ is out of luck—at least for the time being. No doubt they would lobby hard for a change in the law.