Rhode Island online casino bill passes Senate
SB948 now heads to the House of Representatives.
US.- The Rhode Island bill that would legalise online casino in the state was passed by the Senate in a 30-4 vote. SB948 now heads to the House of Representatives
The bill would allow residents in the state over the age of 21 to play table games remotely using a computer or mobile app. Introduced by Senate president Dominick Ruggerio, it would give Bally’s the exclusive rights to operate via its Twin River and Twin River-Tiverton properties with IGT as its vendor.
Following a committee amendment, SB948 now includes legislation that requires a live dealer to be in place and streamed via a simulcast. The bill would allow legalised online casino games in Rhode Island by January 1, 2024, with the state lottery in charge of regulating the market.
Dominick Ruggerio said: “This legislation provides an added convenience to Rhode Islanders who would like to play the existing table games offered at Twin River via their mobile devices. It helps ensure the continued strength of the state facilities in the competitive regional gaming market, and in so doing protects an important revenue stream that provides funding for vital state programs and investments.”
Rhode Island sports betting handle drops again in April
Rhode Island’s sports betting handle reached $37.5m in April. The figure marks and eight-month low, down 6.7 per cent from $40.2m in the same month of 2022 and down 9.6 per cent from $41.5m in March 2023.
According to the Rhode Island Lottery, $27.5m was staked online, with the remaining $10m split across the Twin River and Tiverton Casino retail sportsbooks. Twin River’s handle amounted to $5.8m and Tiverton Casino’s $4.2m.
