Rhode Island seeks company to run sports betting
The state is set to bid for a company to run sports betting at Twin River’s casinos if the Supreme Court lifts the federal ban.
US.- Governor Gina Raimondo’s budget proposal for next year includes US$23.5 million in state revenue that could come from sports betting at Twin River’s casino in Lincoln and a new planned casino in Tiverton. The budget – that would only work if the Supreme Court lifts the federal ban on sports betting – also includes another US$4.1 million from a new type of gaming, including “stadium gaming” at Twin River.
Lawmakers believe that a gambling expansion is essential in order to protect Rhode Island’s third-largest revenue source. The Rhode Island Lottery said that it hopes to obtain an exclusive contract to provide initial sports betting services this year in time to start accepting wagers at Twin River on October 1st.
“If the Supreme Court overturns, we have to have sports gambling to remain competitive,” Mark Furcolo, director of the state Department of Revenue, said. “Massachusetts has big gambling entities to run their casinos. They will be able to offer sports betting very quickly.” The proposal doesn’t set a percentage of gambling revenue that the state would obtain, as it will be defined through the RFP process, Furcolo said.
Despite the fact that the proposal only details sports betting at brick-and-mortar locations, the RFP said that Lottery officials are open to online sports betting as well, and that bidders should show capability to “readily adapt to any future additions to authorized sports betting operations in the state including, but not limited to, remote sports betting.
