Lawmakers unveil iGaming bill

Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, a North Providence Democrat, and Rep. Gregory Costantino, a Lincoln Democrat, announced companion bills authorizing online casino gaming, or iGaming. The proposal, introduced on behalf of casino operator Bally’s Corp., aims to keep Rhode Island competitive with neighboring states while generating more tax revenue, according to a statement from lawmakers.

 “Our state casinos provide an important source of revenue to fund vital programs and investments that benefit all Rhode Islanders,” Ruggerio and House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said in a joint statement. “It is imperative that we continue to explore all avenues to protect and bolster our competitive position, including the potential for iGaming.”

The Rhode Island Lottery contributed more than $388 million in state revenue in fiscal 2022, including from table games, video lottery, and sports betting.

A study commissioned by Bally’s projects that iGaming would bring in an extra $210 million in tax revenue for the state over a five-year period. Bally’s does not anticipate  online gambling would decrease activity at its casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton.

Bally’s owns Bally’s Interactive International, formerly Gamesys Group, a global, online gaming operator as well as the sports betting platform Bally Bet, and the growing iCasino platform Bally Casino.

The push to make gambling easier and more accessible in Rhode Island comes after a little over a month after Massachusetts debuted online sports betting (after allowing in-person sports betting starting in January). The Commonwealth raked in more than half a million in tax revenue in online sports betting in its first three weeks, according to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.  Other forms of online gambling are not yet legal in Massachusetts.

Connecticut has offered iGaming, including sports betting, since the fall of 2021, creating $3 million a month in tax revenue on average for the state, according to the state Department of Consumer Protection.

The online slot and table gaming wagers would be accepted only from players who are physically in Rhode Island at the time of their bet. As with all other forms of gambling, the state would retain control of procedures, security, operations and accounting. 

If approved, the new law would take effect Jan. 1. 

By Nancy Lavin