While the state gambling age is still 18+, S 0948 had to undergo revisions to pass the Senate, and one of those revisions was raising the minimum gambling age to 21+ for online services. Other adjustments included tax rates and how table games can be offered online.

Senate leader Dominick Ruggerio proposed s 0948 but initially faced opposition from the Rhode Island Lottery. Lottery director Mark Furcolo initially raised concerns that the new law was unconstitutional, and a compromise had to be made before the bill was presented to the state Senate. One of the compromises made was that online table games can only be offered by a live dealer, creating more jobs for the state and taxable revenue, wink wink.

Are There Online Casino Options For 18+ Players In Rhode Island?

Yes, Rhode Island’s 18+ casinos have operated for more than ten years, but these sites are outside the United States’ jurisdiction. While no laws make offshore gambling sites illegal, players must be careful with the sites they choose to play.

We have created a guide to the most trusted online casinos to assist our readers in their online casino gambling endeavors. The sites we recommend all operate legally in the United States and are licensed by trusted gambling regulators. To assure players that the games offer fair odds, approved online casinos must pass compliance checks from their regulator to be awarded a license. 

What Online Casino Games Can You Play In Rhode Island?

The most popular 18+ online casino games include slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and video poker. Recently live dealer games have also become prominent in the online casino community.

Live dealer games are available via a video/audio feed where dealers issue cards, and players can wager against the dealer and other table players. Live dealer games are typically more expensive than traditional table games played online. Players choose the bet limit that ranges from $1 – $3,000, depending on the table/game you choose. 

However, the state’s mobile sports betting revenue has been well under the earlier projections and it could be due to a single hitch in the state’s registration process.

Although Rhode Island is one of the few states in the country with domestic online sports betting, including a mobile phone application and access to bettors 18 and over, the RI constitution requires sports gamblers to register their apps in person.

Once a prospective player downloads the application, they must then visit Twin Rivers Casino or Tiverton Casino– the only two casinos in Rhode Island– to have the registration completed by casino employees.

So far, an estimated 12,000 users have downloaded the application, but less than half have completed the in-person portion of the process to allow mobile sports betting.

Through September and October, the first two months of the application’s launch, the two casinos combined for a hold just over $3 million. The total projection for the same time period was $6.9 million.

If things don’t change soon for Rhode Island, the state will fall short of the $23 million projection for the 2020 fiscal year.

The Plantation State first legalized sports betting in November 2018, making them one of New England’s pioneering 18+ states on Casinos18.com. Even more inclusive, Rhode Island permits 18+ sports betting and casino gaming.

Despite virtually no competition in the area, RI is still not meeting its numbers. It is safe to say that the in-person registration could be playing a part in the dip.

Only Rhode Island, Nevada, and Iowa require bettors to register their apps in-person. Even Iowa is dropping that requirement by 2021, though. Other states, like Illinois, have received multiple criticisms of a possible stipulation in their state.

“If this requirement remains in place, it will severely reduce participation in online sports wagering by individuals,” gaming giant MGM Resorts wrote to Illinois.

The publicly-held gaming company continued to say that in-person registration would “further discourage established operators from entering the Illinois market, and undermine the State’s efforts to launch and generate revenue from online and mobile sports wagering.”

Hopefully for Rhode Island and its population of 18 and over gamblers, the low turnout it just part of a learning curve for the state, its casino

The Rhode Island House of Representatives passed SB 37, a bill which will allow statewide mobile and online betting. This bill comes months after Rhode Island launched their physical sportsbooks in late 2018. The bill is now waiting on the go-ahead from Governor Gina Raimondo, whose proposed 2019 budget included handsome revenues from sports betting in the tens of millions, with $3 million from mobile wagering.

The bill, awaiting her signature, would allow state-licensed Twin River casino to implement a state-wide accessible wagering site and mobile app for 18 year old bettors located in Rhode Island.

This bill introduced in early February, breezed through the Senate after a small amendment was pushed. However, some RI legislators opposed this expansion like Representative Blake Filippi who said he would prefer to add an intermediate step to the process. The Representative tried to introduce an amendment which would ask the state’s Supreme Court for guidance on online betting, but his amendment was defeated in the House by a 62-10 vote.

The current licensing authority in Rhode Island is the state’s Lottery administration, which exclusively licenses wagering to the Twin River Casinos. It is likely the venue will continue to use William Hill and IGT tech to support their mobile and online betting endeavors as they do for their on-site betting venues.

As of this moment, RI bettors eighteen and older can only enjoy wagering at the 18+ sportsbooks located in the Twin River Casinos in Tiverton and Lincoln. However, SB 37 will expand these options to allow for more frequent and casual betting instead of forcing patrons to drive to these locations each and everytime they want to wager. This bill will also make Rhode Island the only New England state to offer mobile and online wagering capabilities to young adults 18 and over.

Nonetheless, lawmakers are concerned about how accessible gaming will be to youth and addicts. Some Representatives, like Teresa Tanzi, say adding betting capabilities to mobile devices may create a pathway for minors to gamble and they worry the immediate access will increase gambling addiction. Rep. Tanzi says she wants a public awareness campaign focused on educating the public on signs of problem gambling, as well as, allocating betting revenue to support treatment for gambling addiction, and creating problem gambling resources and information on RI betting apps.

To negate minors from wagering, it is likely the state will remain with their current in-person registration at the Twin Rivers in Lincoln and Tiverton to verify ages and identities which will naturally mitigate minors from gambling. It is also likely the new mobile and online wagering platforms will require bettors to first register at the venues mentioned above, before being able to access any wagering capabilities. In any case, the casino will hold the main liability and will be determined to avoid underage gambling.

The Rhode Island state Senate permitted a bill which would allow mobile sports gambling in the state, but the state Senate isn’t the only branch attempting RI mobile wagering as the House has their own mobile betting bill currently in reading and awaiting its vote later on in February. These expanded wagering bills come well after Rhode Island legalized state-regulated and licensed sports betting.

The mobile sports gambling bill currently in the Senate would require first-time mobile bettors to register for an account on location at either the Twin River’s Lincoln or Tiverton casino. This in-person registration allows the casino to screen the bettor’s ID to check for a valid age minimum requirement of at least 18 and that the individual is not included in the database of problem gamblers excluded from gaming.

The bill, SB 37, passed the Senate 31-4. Sen. Sam Bell, one of the bill’s opponents, argued the current bill provided the Twin River casinos with a monopoly over the sports gambling market, “We would be giving a monopoly on online sports gambling to an existing business, Twin River, creating a monopoly in the state of Rhode Island”. He also argued that mobile gaming should be implemented in a competitive marketplace.

Under the House version of the mobile sports gambling bill sponsored by House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, a lawyer representing DraftKings recommended the allowance of multiple sports gambling vendors for wagering apps to allow fans options and avoid a monopoly. This, of course, was an effort for DraftKings to provide their readymade betting app services to Rhode Island.

Under Senate Bill 37, mobile betting would include domestic and international professional and collegiate sports. However, Rhode Island collegiate teams are excluded from Rhode Island sports gambling options. Bettors can use licensed offshore online sportsbooks to bet on domestic RI collegiate teams legally.

The Senate Bill in consideration meets current DOJ intrastate gaming standards. These new standards require all of a gambling business’s related equipment for data, servers, and information to be hosted within the state the business is legally operating in.

Another Senator favored SB 37 but was concerned about the application of the state’s constitution to the bill. Sen. Donna Nesselbush was concerned that the state Supreme Court could interpret SB 37 to fall under the expanded types of gambling forms detailed under the state constitution to require a voter referendum. This would halt legislative action and place the future of Rhode Island mobile sports gambling for 18-year-olds in the hands of voters and voters alone.

Connecticut is known for its tribal-run casinos but how will the relationship between tribal gambling entertainment, state licensors and regulators, and online gaming providers be affected by introduced sports gambling bills. We explain, but first, one must understand that Connecticut has long been in the background for passing sports gambling legislation.

While 2018 did not see the legalization of domestic sports betting in the state, 2019 shows a more favorable climate for passing sports gambling legislation.

One CT sports gambling bill known as LCO 578 was introduced in the 2019 legislative session on January 11^th and is a bipartisan bill. Bipartisan bills are likely to pass due to support by both party members. Senator Cathy Osten (D) has given her support for the bill, as well as, co-sponsored it.

Other members of the Southeastern state legislative submitted the bill in hopes of amending current state laws. The bill’s other 11 sponsors include Paul Formica, Susan Johnson, Doug Dubitsky, Mike France, Holly Cheeseman, Heater Somers, Joe de la Cruz, Christine Conley, Emmet Riley, Steve Cassano, and Senator-elect Needleman.

The bill introduced, if passed, would permit online and physical wagering. It would also place a minimum age restriction to players at least 21 years of age. Wagering could be made in-person or online but would include age and identity verification requirements and features.

However, Connecticut faces several issues concerning who will and/or can run sports betting operations. Currently, the native tribes which own a great deal of casino presence in CT want the exclusive right to offer sports gambling. Sportech Venues which operates CT’s off-track betting facilities wants to offer sports gambling, as well as, MGM Resorts, another large casino company hoping to establish a property in CT has played with the idea of offering sportsbooks.

Connecticut is surrounded by states which have pending or already launched state-licensed domestic sports gambling offers like New Jersey and Rhode Island. Some of which are online and offered through mobile devices. If Connecticut would like to retain domestic state dollars, they need to act fast and legalize CT-licensed and based sportsbooks for physical wagers and online services.

Senator Osten is excited about the competitive push and has been quoted saying, “Connecticut needs to play catch-up with surrounding states if we’re serious about modernizing our existing gaming industry. Fortunately, we can do that with a relatively simple regulatory fix”.

Bill LCO 578 is a simple outline of a sports gambling bill but is sure to fill out with more details as the 2019 session continues. Priorities are already laid out in the short document but need to be filled out with specifics. With support from the Deputy Majority Leader and Upper Chamber’s Deputy President, it is doubtful this bill will fail.

However, the bill currently contains provisions which allow the state lottery to offer online Keno games which would require a revision to the tribal gaming compacts made between the state and two CT native tribes. Nonetheless, expect swift resolutions with anything concerning CT gambling as it seems this state wants to get a move on.

Rhode Island had sports wagering legislation passed earlier this year and was projected to begin offering their wagering services on October 1^st.

However, some revenue allocation negotiations held the state back from offering sports gambling in October but now with negotiations finalized the state can begin offerings this expanded form of gambling.

As of 3 pm, Monday, November 26^th, the Twin River casino in Lincoln has begun its sportsbook operations. The Twin River’s two casinos are the only casinos permitted to offer sports wagering at the moment, the Twin River’s second casino at Tiverton will be accepting bets in December.

The Twin River casinos will offer sports gambling in partnership with William Hill and IGT – who have more experience in the industry than the newly passed sports gambling state of Rhode Island.

Wagering revenue allocated in Rhode Island through state-licensed sportsbooks will be divided as follows: 51% will go to the state, 32% will o to partnering operators, i.e. William Hill and IGT, and 17% will o directly to the Twin River casinos.

The New England states now have their first sports betting state and New England residents are happier for the closer sports gambling option compared to Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, or West Virginia.

In fact, at Monday’s opening ceremony for Twin River’s sportsbook bettors from Massachusetts and around New England relished the fact that Rhode Island provided local betting.

At Monday’s ceremony, Chairman of Twin River Worldwide Holdings John Taylor, House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio were present and led waiting bettors inside.

Ruggerio, Mattiello, and Taylor each placed their own first legal RI wagers. Any bets placed by Taylor, Ruggerio, and Mattiello which won would go directly to a charity of their choosing.

Currently, Rhode Island’s Twin River sportsbook operation is in Phase 1, which seems minimalist and simply to begin offering this exclusive gambling form. However, word of a second Phase has many bettors excited.

Phase 2 will offer a sportsbook lounge with multiple televisions, but the casino must first move its simulcast horse and dog race betting area to construct their desired sportsbook lounge.

Rhode Island is only permitted the Twin River casinos to offer sports gambling, but this may soon change. The state is looking to expand sports betting to other locations and venue options like those which already support lottery agents, keno machines, and at sports bars according to the Rhode Island Department of Revenue.

Senate President Dominick Ruggerio is also looking into mobile or otherwise known as online sports betting options in RI.

Both House Speaker and Senate president for Rhode Island shared their common desire for state-regulated sports gambling and shoehorned the importance of this form of gambling as a revenue generator for the state.

Currently, sports bets must be placed in person at the Twin River’s Lincoln location; the Tiverton Twin river location will accept bets before the end of 2018. Bets can be made on both professional and collegiate sports, with the exception of bets made on Rhode Island college sports.