Rhode Island Launches Legalized Online Casino March 5

On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, Bally Casino became the first licensed online casino in Rhode Island. It's open to anyone physically within the borders of Rhode Island who's 21 years of age or older. This follows a successful four-day soft launch during which invited players were able to try out the casino offerings.

About the Bally Casino

Bally Casino online is available to Rhode Islanders at Ballycasino.com. They also have the option of downloading an app for Android (available on the casino's website) and iOS (available in the Apple App Store).

The Website of Bally Casino Rhode Island

Right now, the only games available are slots (some 170 titles) and Live Dealer table games (Blackjack and Roulette). The reason that table games are only supported in Live Dealer format is because this is a rule specified in the SB948 bill that passed in June 2023 and legalized casino gaming over the internet.

Whereas slots that utilize random number generators are prevalent in live casinos, table games that do the same are not. Thus, it was felt that adding RNG-based table offerings would have constituted a new form of gambling, which would have required voter approval in a referendum, whereas Live Dealer games are the same as traditional table games in a retail setting and do not count as a new type of gaming. Or so the legal hair-splitters believe anyway.

Live Blackjack and Roulette is hosted at a special studio devoted to these games at Bally's Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort. This facility is operated in conjunction with Stakelogic. There are plans to add Baccarat to the mix later on.

Bally's President of Rhode Island Operations Craig Eaton commented:

We are pleased to launch this new gaming product which is borne out of our partnership with the General Assembly, Governor McKee and our regulators, the RI Department of Revenue, Division of Lottery, Department of Business Regulation and RI State Police to enhance state revenue and better position the State’s casinos in the competitive New England gaming market. As with all gaming operations, the State will retain complete regulatory control of iGaming.

Rhode Island State Senate President Dominick Ruggerio (D) meanwhile stated:

I was proud to sponsor the legislation authorizing iGaming in Rhode Island, and I am excited for its implementation. iGaming will ensure that Rhode Island remains at the forefront of the competitive gaming industry, reinforcing a critical revenue stream for the state while providing an alternative form of entertainment. It builds upon other steps we have taken to better position Rhode Island in the gaming and hospitality industries, including a new partnership with CCRI to train Rhode Islanders for good paying, secure job opportunities in gaming and related areas of the hospitality industry.

No Competition For Many Years to Come

Rhode Island, with a population of just over 1 million, may seem to be a tiny market for any would-be online casino enterprise. However, Bally's (NYSE: BALY) has a sweetheart deal in The Ocean State that may have assuaged any concerns its execs had about market share or long-term sustainability of the business.

Bally's already owns Rhode Island's two physical casinos along with its single online sports betting site, which launched in September 2019. It also holds the only contract for providing iGaming services to Rhode Islanders. Bally's agreement with the state lasts for 20 years. Barring any legislative changes in the interim, the company can look forward to an effective gaming monopoly for almost two decades to come.

On a broader front, Bally's Corp has 16 brick-and-mortar casino properties in 10 states. Its BallyBet sportsbook product is active in seven states besides its Sportsbook Rhode Island website. The online Bally Casino operates in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and now Rhode Island.

Money Matters

Perhaps in recognition of its uniquely beneficial market position, Bally's has to share quite a bit of its internet gaming revenue with the state. An incredible 61% of online slot revenue is earmarked for the coffers in Providence. For table gaming, the corresponding figure is 15.5%. In addition, Bally's will provide at least $50,000 for problem gambling prevention and another $200,000 toward gambling addiction treatment.

Analysts forecast that online casino gaming could bring in about $40 million annually for the state after five years although the market will likely be smaller while the industry grows. Bally's estimates that its Rhode Island interactive casino division will create between 50 and 75 jobs.

No Poker Likely

The enabling legislation for online gaming in Rhode Island appears to consider poker as an allowed game. However, BallyCasino.com does not have any peer-to-peer poker tables active. It's not likely that any will be forthcoming soon either.

Poker almost certainly counts as an “online table game” for the purposes of RI law and would therefore be subject to the stipulation that it would have to use live dealer mechanics. The problem is that no major online cardroom, either state-regulated or offshore, currently offers Live Dealer poker games. Given the smallness of the Rhode Island market, it's hard to see any realistic set of circumstances in which such a product is deployed within the state.

Even if Rhode Island eventually signs the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, which allows the residents of signatory states to play across state borders with each other, this will still not enable regulated internet poker to appear in the state. Remember, there are no live dealer online poker rooms in existence currently, at least not with any significant traffic, so there would be no player liquidity to share across Rhode Island's borders. Nothing plus nothing is still nothing.

History and Background

On April 27, 2023, State Senator Dominick Ruggerio introduced SB 948 followed a day later by his House colleague Gregory Constantino (D). Over the next few months, there was the expected political wrangling over tax rates and the rules surrounding gambling over the internet.

Rhode Island State Senate President Dominick Ruggerio

In June, these issues were settled, and the bill passed both the House and Senate by overwhelming margins. The bill was sent to Governor Daniel McKee (D) on June 15, and he signed it into law a few days later.

With the passage of SB 948, Rhode Island became the seventh state with licensed online casinos, joining Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The industry is subject to oversight from the Rhode Island Lottery.

In late January 2024, it was revealed that the soft launch period would commence March 1. This target was hit on time, and following approval from the Lottery, the full launch commenced March 5. The inclusion of live dealer games at launch was a bit of a surprise as Bally's had earlier announced that they would not be ready until April.

Better Options Await You

An internet casino with fewer than 200 slots and just a couple of table games isn't anything to write home about. If you reside in Rhode Island or really anywhere in the United States, then you have your pick of offshore casinos that boast several times as many titles, including games that are absent from Bally Casino, like video poker and craps. Check out your option with this list of the best online casinos for USA players.

If poker is more your milieu, then be sure to read this Rhode Island online poker guide. Or for information pertaining to the United States as a whole, check out this overview of the best online poker sites for Americans.