Feb. 4—Recently, I read an online article that registered as 100% — 100% fake, when run through an artificial intelligence screener.

I wasn’t surprised. It’s usually not very difficult to tell that something wasn’t written by an actual human being.

Anyway, the reason I’d read the piece was that it claimed to answer the question of why gambling is illegal in Hawaii.

“(P)rimarily due to the state’s cultural values,” was among its many laughable assertions.

Yes, ridiculous.

Of course there are many folks in our state who are anti-gambling for moral reasons.

But give me a break on “the state’s cultural values.” Reality indicates the opposite — like it or not, gambling is a huge part of Hawaii’s culture.

If we’re so pious as a state, why do Hawaii people crowd onto dilapidated airplanes that weekly herd thousands to Las Vegas and then back after a few days, most with empty pockets?

Why do so many frequent local gambling houses where you can play almost any game you can in Vegas — but also run the risk of being robbed at gunpoint, or raided by police?

Why do so many participate in illicit sports betting at neighborhood watering holes? In the pre-digital age, you could ask any local bartender for a parlay sheet during football season; odds are they’d produce one for you on the spot if you’re a regular customer or one vouched for you. With today’s technology, now the barkeep will direct you to a web site, owned and operated by a local bookie.

The reason gambling is illegal in Hawaii is because Vegas, thanks to its relentless marketing and lobbying onslaught, has long held a death grip on the gaming lust of Hawaii people.

Attorney Kathleen Owen, a representative from the Sports Betting Alliance, estimates the state could make $9 million a year in tax revenue if it legalized gambling.

That money could be used in many good ways. Here are a few ideas:

>> building affordable housing, including for people displaced by the Lahaina wildfires.

>> a better new Aloha Stadium.

>> improving our schools, and pay for teachers, first responders and other public workers.

>> addressing other societal issues, including a big chunk toward identifying and helping problem gamblers (if we want people against legalizing gambling to face reality, those of us who are for it should, too — gambling is a horrible addiction for some).

Remaining one of just two states in the nation where it’s a crime to place a bet means a lot of our state’s money ends up in Las Vegas, or in the hands of criminals here.

Sports gambling is a reality that won’t go away, especially with the emerging technology that facilitates daily fantasy sports and in-game betting. The major professional sports leagues realize it is what their fans want and fully embrace what used to be taboo. Many fans consider in-game gambling an essential part of their experience.

Trying to stop gambling is as foolish as trying to stop alcohol consumption was during prohibition. Laws that are impossible to enforce are a joke.

This isn’t about turning Waikiki into the Vegas strip. It’s about starting with what makes sense — a state lottery, and legalizing and regulating online sports and other betting. Personally, though, I would also like to someday see Native Hawaiians benefit from gaming similar to how Native Americans do — but perhaps through cruise ship and online gambling rather than brick-and-mortar on-land casinos.

“An estimated $277 million is wagered annually in Hawaii,” Owen told state lawmakers last week. “This money is being wagered by residents with unregulated, illegal offshore websites and with illegal bookies where there is no oversight, no consumer protection, and no revenue generated for the state.”

Five bills in the state Legislature this session address legalizing gambling in various ways.

It’s time for Hawaii’s lawmakers to prove they aren’t owned by Vegas.