Rhode Island Online Gambling: Quick Facts
- Legal Rhode Island online gambling options: Sports betting
- Legal gambling age: 21
- Who regulates Rhode Island online gambling? The Rhode Island Lottery
- Legal mobile gambling? Yes
- Do I need to be physically located in Rhode Island to gamble online? Yes
- Do I need to be a resident of Rhode Island to gamble online? No
- What can't I bet on? Online casino or poker games.
A Brief History of Rhode Island Online Gambling
Rhode Island legalized online gambling in 2019 through sports betting. The state legislature was on the quick side when it came to legalization. New Jersey was the first state to enact sports betting following the Supreme Court ruling that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was unconstitutional.
A few states in the nation, such as Nevada, had already legalized sports betting in their territories. This is because they were exempt from the PASPA. PASPA was passed in 1992, and a section of it outlawed sports betting in the United States.
The states that continued to offer legal sports betting were grandfathered into the bill. New Jersey did not think it was fair that they could not provide legal sports betting when other states were exempt from PASPA.
This caused the state to fight PASPA against the professional sports leagues and the NCAA to the Supreme Court, where they won.
The Rhode Island legislature started discussing legal sports betting in 2018. Sports betting was signed into law on June 22, 2018, but the framework had no mobile betting.
Sports betting technological partner IGT was given the ability to operate sports wagering at the two Twin River Casinos in the state. The Rhode Island Lottery was given the power to oversee sports betting.
In 2019, the state legislature realized that they were losing a lot of money by not offering mobile sports wagering. The Senate introduced a new bill at the beginning of the legislative session, and it was passed in both chambers by March.
The one sports betting app in the state is called Sportsbook Rhode Island. IGT is the technology provider behind the book. The app is not great, but it’s the only legal app, so people do not have any choice in the state.
Rhode Island Online Gambling: The Current Law
- Online sports betting is legal in Rhode Island.
- This is the only form of legal online gambling in the state.
- Online casino gaming is not legal.
- You cannot play online poker in the state.
- A single provider runs Rhode Island sports betting.
- The Rhode Island State Lottery oversees sports betting in the state.
- Playing on offshore sportsbooks or online casinos is prohibited in Rhode Island.
- Horse race betting is legal, but there are no tracks or state-run horse wagering.
Legal Online Sportsbooks
There is only one online sportsbook that operates in Rhode Island. The app is called Sportsbook Rhode Island, and it’s operated by IGT. The state lottery monitors sports betting. RI took bids for sports betting providers, and IGT was the only company that expressed interest.
The company won by default because of this fact. Sportsbook Rhode Island launched in 2019 after the state legislature realized how much money they were losing by not offering mobile sports betting.
Before 2019, RI only had retail sportsbooks at the two Twin Rivers Casinos in the state. The biggest complaint that Sportsbook Rhode Island garners is unfair odds. Since Sportsbook Rhode Island is the only legal sportsbook in the state, the lottery and IGT can generate unfair odds.
You cannot line shop in RI because of the single provider, which is disappointing. The book offers an excellent selection of sports, and you can bet on college athletics. However, it’s tougher to win bets on Sportsbook RI.
The setup is very similar to a commercial book. IGT is a great technological partner, but the tough odds make the book less desirable.
Sports Betting in Rhode Island
There are no professional sports teams in Rhode Island, but this does not mean that there aren't avid NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL fans that bet in the state. The Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics in Boston are favored by the entire northeast region of the United States.
You will find many diehard New England sports fans in Rhode Island. Sportsbook Rhode Island offers promotions on local teams because of this fact. College sports betting is legal in Rhode Island as well.
The University of Rhode Island’s men’s basketball team has done well over the years. Many people like to bet on the Rams during basketball season as well. Here are the wager types you can place on Sportsbook Rhode Island.
Moneyline
The moneyline is when you pick a team to win a game. The only thing that matters is that the team you pick has a lead at the end of the game. The moneyline is a simple bet because the score is the only thing that matters.
Positive odds indicate an underdog, and negative odds mean that a team is favored in a game.
Point Spread
The point spread is the great equalizer. It allows you to wager underdogs to be within a specific range of points. If you bet a favorite on the point spread, they must win by that number of points.
A negative spread means “win by,” and a positive spread means “be within” on a sportsbook. If the Patriots were -2.5, they must win by a field goal for your bet to hit.
Totals (Over/Under)
The total is when you wager on how many points will be scored in a contest. You have to decide to bet over or under the given total. Great defenses usually yield under totals. Potent offenses cause games to go over frequently.
Prop Bets
Prop bets usually deal with smaller statistics in a game. These encompass a lot of things that take place in a game. You can bet on the touchdowns a quarterback will throw in a contest or the number of sacks a team will give up.
Sportsbook RI is not great for props. The excitement of props is heavily dependent on a sportsbook. Since RI is a sole provider state, you will have fewer choices.
Future Bets
Future bets are when you wager something that will take place in the future. When you pick the Patriots to win the Super Bowl in the offseason, you are making a future bet.
Parlay Bets
Parlay bets are when you combine a group of events into a single wager. All the legs of the parlay must hit for you to receive a payout. These are tricky bets to win because multiple things need to occur for you to win. However, you can win a ton of money for minimal risk.
Legal Online Casinos
Online casinos are not legal in Rhode Island. The first state to legalize online casino gaming was Delaware. Online casino gambling has not become as mainstream as mobile sports betting. If you want to play casino games in RI, there are two locations for you to play.
These two locations are both Twin Rivers Casinos. One is located in Lincoln, and the other is in Tiverton. The gambling age is 18, so this RI is a very accessible state.
Legal Online Poker
Online poker is not legal in Rhode Island. It does not appear like online poker will become legal shortly. If you want to play in person, you can do so at the Twin Rivers Casinos.
How to Set Up a Rhode Island Online Gambling Account
It’s very easy to sign up for a Rhode Island gambling account. To create an account, go to the sportsbook on your desktop or download the app by searching Sportsbook Rhode Island. You will be asked to enter your name and email, which will allow the sportsbook to send you an email for you to complete the registration process.
Once you receive the email, you will be asked to enter your legal name, address, date of birth, and social security number. Ensure that the information you entered is correct because the state lottery will use it to confirm your betting legality.
If you are outside of the state, you can still sign-up for an account. However, you must be located in Rhode Island to place a wager. It’s critical to craft a strong password during the registration process. This can be done by using numbers, letters, and symbols.
Rhode Island Banking Methods
Banking methods are standard amongst online gambling platforms. Not all sites offer the same payment methods, but they do overlap on multiple occasions. The most popular ways to deposit and withdraw on sportsbooks throughout the United States are credit/debit cards, PayPal, Neteller, PayNearMe, e-Check through ACH Payments, or a banking wire. Credit cards and debit cards are ubiquitous in the online gambling world because of their ease.
If you gamble on a Florida online platform, you should not worry about identity theft. Online gambling sites are required to enact tight security measures to ensure that you will be safe for the entirety of your gambling endeavors.
How to Make a Deposit
There are two ways to make a deposit for Rhode Island online gambling. Sportsbook Rhode Island accepts a debit card or an e-Check. Most people make deposits through a bank account.
According to the FAQ section on the website, you must take the steps that you must take to make a deposit on Sportsbook Rhode Island.
- Log into your account and enter the My Account section
- Click on the Deposit button.
- Select Bank Transfer as a deposit method.
- If you have not deposited using ‘E-Check’ before, you will need to enroll in the Global Payments VIP Preferred E-Check service.
- If you have used ‘E-Check’ as a deposit method in the past, you have been automatically enrolled in the Global Payments VIP Preferred E-Check service.
- Enter your banking information.
- Submit the request.
This is a straightforward process. The book walks you through the steps once you hit the registration section. Sportsbook Rhode Island is very safe, so you should not be worried about identity theft. The Rhode Island State Lottery goes through many measures to keep your data secure in its records.
