Online sports betting and retail sportsbooks are legal in Rhode Island. The Rhode Island lottery operates retail sportsbooks at the state’s two casinos and offers statewide mobile betting through Sportsbook Rhode Island.
Rhode Island sports betting rules originally required fans to visit a casino in person to register for a mobile betting account. Still, lawmakers passed additional legislation in 2020 to end the in-person registration requirement. Now, customers 18 or older may complete the registration from anywhere within state lines.
Online horse racing betting, daily fantasy sports, and online casinos are also permitted in Rhode Island. The state has never passed legislation to legalize online horse racing betting or DFS formally. Still, operators in both industries operate openly in Rhode Island and have never been asked to cease operations.
State of Rhode Island Sports Betting Overview
Online sports betting is legal in Rhode Island due to legislation signed into law by Governor Raimondo in March 2019.
The Rhode Island Lottery is partnered with IGT and William Hill to offer online betting through one state-authorized provider: Sportsbook RI is the only online sportsbook that is legal and regulated in Rhode Island.
Sports fans 18 or older and located within state lines may register for an account by visiting SportsBetRI.com or downloading the app for iOS or Android.
The app itself is generic, inoffensive, and superficial. All the pieces are in the usual places, with the list of sports in the left column, live betting options in the center and the bet slip on the right. Being the only app available in the state, it lacks Flash, but it serves the state well with the basics of betting.
Regarding the potential for more sportsbook apps to launch in Rhode Island, the chances are pretty low. Rhode Island law prescribes a much closer relationship between the state and sports betting than is common. For all intents and purposes, sports betting is a government service in the state, and the app is an arm of the Rhode Island Lottery.
Customers may now register remotely from anywhere inside Rhode Island and do not need to be residents to participate. The law previously required customers to visit a Rhode Island casino in order to complete registration in person. Still, the 2020 coronavirus pandemic prompted lawmakers to pass SB 2919 and HB 8097, which ended the in-person registration requirement.
Rhode Island is not a hotbed for sports betting bonuses and promotions. The decision to give the Rhode Island Lottery a monopoly over sports betting has predictably resulted in a less consumer-friendly landscape than in other states where competition among providers is fierce.
However, that does not mean bettors intent on building bankrolls and claiming bonus funds must forgo sports betting bonuses entirely. There are other options well within reach of anyone in Rhode Island.
State of Rhode Island Sports Betting Timeline
2023
With Massachusetts legalizing sports betting, Rhode Island’s sports betting industry could face a hit for both handle and revenue. During Massachusetts’ first legal month in March 2023, Rhode Island’s handle is down 3.7% from February 2023 and 9.4% from March 2022.
In the 2023 fiscal year, Rhode Island’s lottery contributed $435.7 million to the state’s General Fund. $25.5 million (5.7%) was through sports betting revenue.
Rhode Island legislators will reportedly introduce new legislation in 2024 that will outlaw smoking in all Rhode Island casinos. The legislation is expected to face opposition.
2019
Realizing the amount of RI sports betting revenue the state was leaving unrealized by not offering mobile sports wagering, a group of Senators introduced S 37.
The bill passed the Senate in February and the House in March. Gov. Gina Raimondo signed the bill into law by the end of the month.
2018
A standalone sports betting bill (S 2045) appeared in January, sponsored by a handful of senators.
The bill moved to allow the RI Lottery to operate sports betting at the two Twin River casinos. Wagering on collegiate sports would be allowed, excluding those involving Rhode Island teams or games.
Raimondo immediately adopted the language into her budget proposal, projecting $23.5 million in revenue from the activity. House lawmakers later contested those numbers but not the line-item inclusion of sports betting.
On May 15 — the day after the SCOTUS ruling — Rhode Island lawmakers held the nation’s first post-PASPA hearing. During the chat, it became clear that the small state was quite serious about sports betting. Lottery staff showed an active request for proposal, soliciting a technology partner to provide the sportsbook know-how.
IGT was the only bidder, seemingly earning the gig by default. The group already provided the state’s lottery platform.
The state legislature passed Raimondo’s budget, including sports betting, in mid-June. Raimondo signed Rhode Island sports betting into law on June 22.