Real Money Online Poker in Rhode Island - reliable and legal sites in 2023!

Can I play online poker in Rhode Island? The answer is yes!

Is it legal to play online poker in Rhode Island? The answer to this is also yes!

Online poker in Rhode Island is a subject of interest for people in the state who enjoy card games. You can play over the internet from within the Ocean State without any fear that you're breaking the law. You, as a private individual, can partake in Rhode Island online poker on your computer at your home without worry.

Rhode Island has actually passed legislation that appears to make licensed online poker a reality in the state. However, the cumbersome way this law was written along with Rhode Island's small size means it will probably be several years before any Rhode Island-licensed internet poker providers actually materialize. Fortunately, there are several offshore sites that are ready to accept you as a customer now, so you have plenty of choices when it comes to places to play online.

There is a cardroom at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, but it holds only 16 tables. Rather than traveling, parking your car, and waiting around for a seat to open up in a game that catches your eye, why not head online and get your fill of poker action whenever you want? You won't have to buy overpriced casino food or pay the exorbitant live rake either.

Some people think that the Wire Act criminalizes online poker at the federal level. This is not the case; a 2011 Department of Justice letter states that this statute only applies to betting on sports. Thus, the enforcement provisions of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 are wholly irrelevant when discussing online poker.

This means that it's up to Rhode Island to determine its stance on internet poker much as other states do. Existing state laws are directed at penalizing those who actually run the games, not regular players. You have nothing to fear personally from the RI legal regime as long as you play for your own pleasure and profit without running a gambling enterprise yourself.

With dozens of internet gambling locations to choose from, the prospect of identifying a trustworthy online cardroom may seem like too much effort for too little reward. Fortunately, we've partnered with some of the top organizations in the industry to bring you the action you crave without subjecting you to irritating software glitches, unwarranted payment delays, or bizarre terms and conditions. Choose any of the poker rooms on our list, and you'll be treated to the kind of solid gameplay experience that you seek.

1

IGNITION

BONUS:

150% up to $1,500

★★★★★

4.5 / 5

BEST RI ONLINE POKER SITE WITH THE MOST TRAFFIC

NETWORK:

PAIWANGLUO

EXTRAS

CASINO

MORE INFO

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The largest poker site open to Rhode Islanders is Ignition Poker. Ignition offers a wide selection of cash game formats including NL Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, and PL Omaha. Ignition also offers fast-fold Zone Poker, numerous SNGs, lotto-inspired Jackpot SNGs, and an array of multi-table tournaments. One such MTT is a weekly tournament with a prize pool of at least $150k. All play at Ignition is anonymized to help newer players avoid being targeted.

The poker software at Ignition is available on Windows and Mac devices for download. Users who wish to play on other devices can utilize the instant-play, browser-based software that is compatible with almost any modern tablet or mobile device. The poker welcome bonus is worth 100% of your first deposit up to $1,000 and crypto users receive 150% up to $1,500. Be sure to explore the casino as well for an additional matching bonus.

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2

SB POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000

★★★★★

4.4 / 5

BEST RI ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BAD BEAT JACKPOT

NETWORK:

CHICO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

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SB Poker is the third-largest U.S.-facing poker operator offering a variety of cash games with blinds up to $5/$10. NLH, PLO, PLO/8, and LHE are present as is fast-fold Boost Poker. SB Poker offers the largest Bad Beat Jackpot of its kind, reaching over $1 million on occasion! Other popular offerings include SNGs, randomized Windfall SNGs, and multi-table tournaments.

SB Poker is available for download on any Windows or Mac device. Android and iOS users can also access a fully functional mobile application to play poker on the go. The poker welcome bonus is 100% of your first deposit up to $1,000. Check out the attached casino and sportsbook to receive additional valuable promotions.

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3

BETONLINE

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000

★★★★★

4.3 / 5

BEST RI ONLINE POKER SITE FOR MOBILE GAMES

NETWORK:

CHICO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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As a partner of SB Poker, BetOnline features all the same games and promotions as its sister site. However, BOL has been in business quite a while longer, and so you might prefer it. One of the advantages of BetOnline lies in its excellent mobile poker platform. Unlike some competitors who offer a stripped-down version of the software for smart device users, BetOnline delivers a robust mobile solution that contains all the games offered and runs smoothly even while multi-tabling.

The poker room at BetOnline is accessible on Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android machines. You'll get a new poker player bonus of 100% up to $1,000 when you make your first deposit.

VISIT BETONLINE NOW

4

BOVADA

BONUS:

100% up to $500

★★★★★

4.2 / 5

BEST RI ONLINE POKER SITE FOR THREE-IN-ONE GAMING

NETWORK:

PAIWANGLUO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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Bovada is on the same poker network as Ignition, so the poker tables and tournaments are all identical. However, Bovada has the trifecta of poker, casino, and sports betting, the latter of which Ignition lacks. Not only can you put your money down on baseball, football, soccer, basketball, and other sports matches, but you can also wager on the results of non-athletic events, like elections and eSports. A racebook with horse races from around the world rounds out the product portfolio.

Bovada Poker downloads to Windows PCs and Macs. In addition, you can play through the web on other devices, like your phone or tablet. The initial deposit bonus for poker is 100% up to $500, but there's thousands more available in bonuses for the casino and sportsbook.

VISIT BOVADA NOW

5

ACR POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $2,000

★★★★★

4.0 / 5

BEST RI ONLINE POKER SITE WITH FREE BANKROLL OFFER

NETWORK:

WINNING

FREE

$10

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ACR Poker is the flagship site on the Winning Poker Network which represents the second-largest site available to U.S. players. ACR offers an exceptional selection of multi-table tournaments across numerous buy-in levels. The VENOM is a recurring series featuring huge prize pools topping $5 million. Of course, ACR also offers plenty of cash games, sit-and-gos, randomized-spin Jackpot SNGs, and more.

ACR Poker is available for download on Windows and Mac systems. Mobile users can access a somewhat limited version with only a few available game types. Use our exclusive bonus code PRB10FREE to receive $10 for free with no deposit required. Then, deposit and receive 100% of your first deposit up to $2,000.

VISIT ACR POKER NOW

6

COIN POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $700

★★★★★

4.0 / 5

BEST RI ONLINE POKER SITE FOR CRYPTO FANS

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

33% RAKEBACK

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Crypto-currency poker is a growing niche, and none of these rooms has achieved the level of traffic and popularity that CoinPoker has. Here you can play on tables denominated in Tether (USDT), and you can additionally deposit and withdraw in several other coins, like Bitcoin and Ether. Games here include NL Hold'em, PL Omaha, 5 Card Omaha, and Open Face Chinese. Watch for the cash games and tournament leaderboards to score some free cash if you're ready to grind hard.

You can play at CP from your PC, Mac, iOS device, or Android system. There are three distinct welcome bonuses here including a 100% bonus worth up to $700, a 100% bonus of up to $300, and a 100% bonus of up to $100. In addition, you can obtain 33% weekly rakeback by investing in the proprietary CHP token.

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7

EVERYGAME

BONUS:

200% up to $1,000

★★★★★★

3.8 / 5

BEST RI ONLINE POKER SITE FOR RAKEBACK

NETWORK:

HORIZON

EXTRAS

CASINOS, SPORTSBOOK

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Everygame Poker doesn't boast the traffic of many of its competitors, but what it does offer is excellent and unique promotional value. 36% rakeback is offered standard and issued daily. Numerous other promotions are also on offer including weekly race races, frequent reload bonuses, overlay tournaments, and a VIP loyalty program.

The Everygame Poker client is available to download on Windows devices. Users with other hardware can play via the instant-play version of the poker suite that is compatible with almost any modern tablet or mobile device. The poker welcome bonus is 200% of your first deposit up to $1,000 and be sure to check out the attached casinos and sportsbook for additional promotional value.

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8

SWCPOKER

BONUS:

NONE

★★★★★

3.6 / 5

BEST RI ONLINE SITE FOR MANY POKER VARIANTS

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

FREEROLLS

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You might be bored of the standard trio of NLHE, PLO, and PLO/8 games, and this is where SwCPoker comes to the rescue. Here you can get your fill of these three formats but also enjoy HORSE, Razz, Seven Card Stud, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball, Courchevel, and many other poker variants. Freerolls and low-rake micro-stakes tables give you a way to get started at this Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash poker room even if your bankroll is a bit low.

SwC is designed to work with iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS. There isn't any first deposit bonus, but you can get rakeback up to 50% depending on your playing volume.

VISIT SWCPOKER

9

NITROBETTING

BONUS:

100% up to 25 mBTC

★★★★★

3.3 / 5

BEST RI ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BTC USERS

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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If you're keen to play poker for bitcoins without the distractions of altcoins or fiat currency, then consider Nitrobetting. Although there are only a few tournaments and sit n' goes, there's decent action in the cash games section. Some of the unusual formats spread here are 6+ Hold'em and Crazy Hold'em. Every day and week, there are freerolls for users who have met the reasonable requirements. Cashouts are fast and seldom take more than a few hours.

Nitrobetting Poker's software runs in your web browser, so it's compatible with almost every computing system available today. Your first deposit will unlock a deposit bonus of 100% up to 25 mBTC.

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How to Choose the Best Poker Site For Your Style of Play

Each of the poker solutions we've presented you with has different characteristics, and each one is ideal for a different type of player. There aren't any hard-and-fast commandments for choosing the right place to play for you personally, but we have come up with a few rules of thumb to give you some guidance in this matter.

How Do I Receive Withdrawals and Payments?

All of the sites we recommend support deposits by credit cards, but there's a possibility that your card issuer will block transactions related to online gambling. When it's time to get your winnings, there are a variety of cashout processors available, but many of them take a long time and come with fees. For the best results, we advise you to use Bitcoin both for deposits and withdrawals. It takes a little bit of work to get started with this cryptocurrency, but the advantages more than outweigh your initial investment in time. Take a look at our Bitcoin guide for novices to educate yourself on the intricacies of this digital payment method.

Alternatives to Registering Your Poker Account in Rhode Island

Perhaps you are fortunate enough to possess another address in a nearby state, be it your business address, summer home, second apartment, family home, etc. If so, then you may have other online poker options available to you. Here is a list of the states that border Rhode Island and Professional Rakeback's review on each of them: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Delaware, and Vermont. If there's another part of the United States that you frequent instead, then our page on the overall U.S. online poker scene may appeal to you.

Ignorance of poker, especially the internet-based variety, is one reason why our hobby isn't as popular as it could be. Do your part to enlighten the citizens of our great land by sharing this page with those among your friends, family, and acquaintances whom you believe would be interested in it.

Facts About Rhode Island's Poker Industry

The sections below will aim to detail the legality involving gambling and poker, land-based gambling options, potential state regulation, and the history of gambling throughout the state of Rhode Island.

The Legality of Playing Poker Online in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island laws don't contain language specifically addressing the legality of poker games played over the internet. Thus, we have to examine the statutes that relate to gambling in general if we wish to glean any wisdom regarding the state's stance on online poker. The applicable area of Rhode Island general laws is § 11 - 19, “Gambling and Lotteries.” The section defining the prohibited games is § 11 - 19 - 1:

Forms of gambling prohibited.

Every person who shall, directly or indirectly, set up, put forth, carry on, promote, or draw, publicly or privately, any lottery, chance, game, or device of any nature or kind whatsoever, or by whatsoever name it may be called, for the purpose of exposing, setting for sale or disposing of any money, houses, lands, merchandise, or articles of value, or shall sell or expose to sale lottery policies, purporting to be governed by the drawing of any public or private lottery, or shall sign or endorse any book, document, or paper whatsoever, for the purpose of enabling others to sell, or expose to sale, lottery policies, except as authorized in this chapter and in title 41 and chapters 61 and 61.2 of title 42, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and shall be imprisoned not exceeding two (2) years or be fined not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000).

Whoa, that's a lot of verbiage to wade through. Fortunately, it's pretty straightforward despite its length. The first part of this section clearly states that it's only those who are running or organizing games of chance who are in violation of the law. The second portion of this behemoth sentence is an oddly worded definition of gambling that seems to include poker among the list of prohibited activities. The word “poker” can't be found in that text, but it's so worded that card games can be interpreted as being included within its provisions.

The final words set out the penalty of no more than two years in prison or a fine of $2,000 or less. It's clear that these punishments aren't doled out to regular players but rather to those who are actually engaged in promoting or operating a prohibited activity. You're totally in the clear if you want to play poker online unless you're somehow trying to convince others to play or advertising for a particular site.

§ 11 - 19 - 18 is another weirdly thorough section dealing with “Keeping of gambling places or devices – Acting as dealer, banker, or lookout.” It prohibits people from using certain physical structures, like buildings, tents, and even rafts, to host casino games. Once again, the law targets people who intend to offer games of chance for profit rather than the participants in those games.

The only provision of the RI laws that appears to affect individual players is § 11 - 19 - 21:

Frequenting gambling place.

Every person who shall frequent any gambling house or place where gaming is practiced or carried on, not in the performance of official duty and not being the landlord of that place entering to view the premises, shall be imprisoned not exceeding thirty (30) days.

Fortunately, this section deals with visiting physical gambling establishments, not playing online from inside your own home. You have nothing to fear from this law.

The remainder of § 11 - 19, “Gambling and Lotteries,” is mostly about regulated types of gambling, including lotteries, search warrants, forfeiture of gambling machinery, and other similar topics. These elements aren't really relevant to what we're discussing today.

Live Gambling in Rhode Island

Today, Rhode Island's citizens can play slots and table games at three casinos. Betting on horse races held outside the state is also possible. The state lottery sells tickets and operates video keno machines, and charitable gaming events can be found once in a while.

The only place to play brick-and-mortar poker is Bally's Twin River Casino in Lincoln, which had 23 tables. However, this poker room closed for COVID-related reasons in March 2020, and only a portion of it has returned to functionality as of July 2023. There are now only eight poker tables, and the room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The newest form of gaming to appear on the scene is sports betting. Bally's Twin River Lincoln and Bally's Tiverton Casino both host retail sportsbooks, and there's a single online sportsbook run by the Rhode Island Lottery in conjunction with Bally's and tech partner IGT.

State Regulation

Rhode Island is very densely populated, but the smallness of the area it encompasses makes this fact mostly irrelevant. With just over 1 million people calling the state home, a Rhode Island-centric licensed poker market makes little sense. Only through interstate compacts to share player pools, like the one signed by Nevada and Delaware, could this tiny state hope to accomplish anything by licensing and regulating local online poker sites.

Surprisingly, this tiny state did legalize online casino gaming, with poker as an afterthought, in June 2023 via SB 948. However, all the problems we've identified with state-regulated internet poker in Rhode Island are still present. Cutting a long story short, it's very unlikely that there will be any type of legalized online poker scene in Rhode Island for a long time to come although the fact that the necessary legal regime for it is in place means that should circumstances change, Rhode Island will be ready to go live with licensed online poker.

History of Gambling in Rhode Island

In colonial days, settlers in Rhode Island would often fund the construction of civic buildings through the sale of lotteries. This was seen as an acceptable way to promote community goals without raising taxes. However, the state was caught up in a wave of moral reformism in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, and these lotteries along with all other forms of gambling were banned. The evidence suggests, however, that a lot of gambling was taking place in the shadows, and state officials mostly turned a blind eye to it. In the 1920s, though, the anti-gambling laws began to be seriously enforced probably as a result of organized crime stepping into the picture.

The first crack in this façade came in May 1934 with the approval of pari-mutuel horse and greyhound betting. Narragansett Park duly opened for horseracing just a few months later although it and all other racing facilities in the state have since been shuttered.

Narragansett Park Race Track in Pawtucket During the '50s.

The RI lottery began in 1973. Charitable gambling followed in 1979. For a long time, public opinion in Rhode Island was against opening up casinos. In the early '90s, neighboring Connecticut saw the rise of Foxwoods, which pulled in millions of dollars a year. Perhaps hoping to claim a piece of this gambling pie, Rhode Islanders gave the OK for video terminals containing blackjack and video poker to be installed at the state's two racetracks in 1992 along with keno betting.

These limited forms of gambling were a far cry from what a modern casino has to offer, and a decline in racing revenues spurred a desire on the part of the owners to add more types of gaming. In 2012, by which time all racing activity had ceased, residents voted to allow table gaming at two venues: Twin River Casino and Newport Grand Casino. In 2015, Twin River (now called Bally's Twin River Lincoln) opened up a poker room, and it remains the only physical location within Rhode Island where real-money poker is permitted.

Sports betting was legalized at brick-and-mortar locations in June 2018 just a month after the U.S. Supreme Court rendered its landmark decision in Murphy v. NCAA, striking down the federal ban on sports betting expansion. The first RI casino sportsbook opened in November 2018. In March 2019, mobile sports betting was legalized too. In June 2023, Rhode Island legalized online casino gaming along with poker, but no sites for these forms of gaming have yet gone live.

In an effort to thoroughly summarize the history involving gambling throughout the state of Rhode Island, our team has created a detailed timeline which can be found below.

Famous Rhode Island Poker Players

Rhode Island is a tiny state, and it doesn't even have any live poker rooms. Therefore, it's kind of understandable that its residents haven't really made their presence known in the wider world of poker. Nevertheless, there are a few notable practitioners of the game who hail from Little Rhody. Perhaps the most prominent of them is Aram Zobian from Cranston.

Aram Zobian of Cranston

He learned how to play poker at 15, but those games didn't involve real money. When Aram was 19, he began to play in real money games, and when he turned 21, additional possibilities opened up for him because most states have a 21-years-old minimum poker age.

Zobian went to college, majoring in finance for a couple of years, but he elected to drop out and concentrate on poker. 2016 was his first World Series of Poker, and he did all right, cashing in two tournaments for several thousand dollars.

However, it was a couple of years later that Aram had his biggest tournament score in the WSOP. It was not just in any event either but the $10,000 Main Event. He made it all the way to sixth place, good for $1.8 million. Combining both live and online tournament results, Aram Zobian has collected more than $3.8 million in tourney winnings.

Other Types of Online Gambling

Rhode Island is not well known for its in-state poker and gambling options, but there are plenty of options to gamble online. Many operators offer slots, table games, video poker, and sports betting. We have identified the best and most trustworthy options available to players in Rhode Island and below, we will provide our top recommendations for online casinos and sportsbooks.

Online Casinos

There are a couple of hotel-casinos in Rhode Island that have gaming, dining, and entertainment. But sometimes, you undoubtedly wish to remain at home quietly enjoying real money games without making a big fuss about it. Fortunately, online casinos allow you to wager on your computer without having to get dressed or go outside.

State-regulated internet casinos are legal, but there are as yet no organizations that are licensed to provide these services in Rhode Island. Therefore, you must head offshore to play casino games on your computer for real money.

We have researched all the options and are pleased to present you with three honorable internet casinos that welcome Rhode Islanders as customers.

1. Cafe Casino - EXCLUSIVE: 350% up to $5,000 Crypto Welcome Bonus

2. Wild Casino - Up to $9,000 in Bonuses on Your First 5 Deposits With Crypto-Currency

3. Ignition Casino - Get a BTC Welcome Bonus of 150% up to $1,500

Many other reliable internet casinos extend their services to residents of Rhode Island, and you can learn all about them with this list of trusted online casinos.

Online Sportsbooks

Rhode Island offers licensed sports betting on the internet, but it's a single sportsbook controlled by the state lottery. You may do better by betting with an international bookmaker. That way, you'll have a choice of places to wager at, and you'll be able to choose from the sites with the best odds and promotions rather than being tied to a single operator.

We've researched all the betting websites that are available in Rhode Island, and we have selected three of the top options for Rhode Islanders.

1. Bovada Sports - 75% up to $750 Bitcoin Bonus

2. Sportsbetting.ag - 100% up to $1,000 BTC Bonus and Never-ending 35% Reloads

3. Everygame Sports - Up to $750 in Sports Bonuses

There are many other online destinations for betting on sports, and you can read more about them in this review of the best USA-friendly online sportsbooks.

Summary of Online Poker in Rhode Island

The laws on the books regarding gambling in Rhode Island are quite voluminous. However, they don't treat the specific subject of online poker in Rhode Island at all, and anyway, they're meant to punish people who run gambling games rather than those who participate in them. There's no reason why you can't find an honest Rhode Island online poker site and start making your virtual bets, calls, and raises today.

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We strive to maintain this information and update it frequently with our research. However, we are not immune to making mistakes or omitting information that you, dear reader, may find of use. If you have any further questions not addressed in this guide or have noted any discrepancies or inaccuracies we urge you to contact us with your questions and concerns so that we may swiftly address them!