Yesterday, Rhode Island’s Governor Gina Raimondo signed a bill into law that will authorize mobile sports betting in Rhode Island.
Raimondo received the bill on 19 March after it received approval from both the House and Senate.
The bill, titled SB 37, was introduced in January by Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello.
Ruggerio said: “Expanding to mobile gaming would provide a convenient option for those wishing to enjoy this form of entertainment and open up the economic benefits beyond the walls of Twin River.”
The state legalized land-based sports betting in June 2018 and went on to launch sports betting operations in November.
With the signing of SB 37, the Twin River casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton will be able to launch mobile sports betting.
Rhode Island’s mobile sports betting model will share similarities with the model in Nevada. Once mobile betting goes live, residents will need to register their mobile accounts in person at one of the Twin River venues in the state.
Once in-person registration is completed, residents will be able to place bets from anywhere within the state using a mobile app. The sports betting app will use geolocation technology to ensure wagers are placed within state lines.
At the moment, only the two Twin River venues can offer sports betting in Rhode Island. The casinos currently work with International Game Technology (IGT) and William Hill to offer sports betting in the state.
In terms of taxation for mobile sports betting nothing will change. Sportsbooks in the state will continue to hold onto 17% of sports betting revenue while the state will receive 51% revenue and IGT will continue to receive 32% of revenue.
While all of the New England states have sports betting bills on file, Rhode Island is the only state in the region where the activity is legal.
Being the only state with legal sports betting in the region, Rhode Island could see an influx of visitors from neighboring states who wish to bet on sports.
In other news, New Hampshire’s House of Representative approved a piece of legislation that would legalize sports betting in the state. The bill has now been passed to the Senate for consideration.
