Figures released by the Rhode Island Lottery show that Rhode Island’s two land-based sportsbooks took over $19m in sports bets in January.
Although a significant amount was wagered, bettors won back $18.9m leaving sportsbooks with a combined revenue of $159,978.
Looking closer at the figures, the sportsbook at Twin River Casino in Lincoln took $15.6m in bets and generated a revenue of $284,351.
The Tiverton Casino in Tiverton took $3.4m and paid out $3.5m in winning bets. this resulted in a loss of $124,373 for the Tiverton venue.
Since the launch of sports betting in Rhode Island in November, bettors have wagered a total of $32.8m on sports and won back $31.6m. This has left the Rhode Island sportsbooks with a total of $1.2m in sports betting revenue.
It is important to remember that Rhode Island bettors only have two land-based venues where they can place wagers on sports.
However, it is possible that the state will move to legalize mobile and online sports betting very soon.
In February the state Senate approved a mobile sports betting bill that will allow residents to wager on sports from anywhere within state lines. The bill must now be voted on by the House.
The bill, titled SB 37, was introduced by Rhode Island’s Senate President, Dominick Ruggerio in January.
If the bill is successful residents will be able to bet on sports from mobile devices after creating an account in person at one of Rhode Island’s casinos.
By authorizing mobile sports betting, Rhode Island could see a significant increase in the total amount bet on sports and revenue generated from the activity.
New Jersey’s January figures indicate that mobile and online sports betting is one of the most popular ways to bet. Figures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement showed that about 80% of bets were placed on online and mobile devices in January.
