Online Gaming Now Live in Rhode Island With Bally’s Launch

Article by : Erik Gibbs Mar 6, 2024

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Bally’s patrons in Rhode Island can now engage in slot and table game action in the state through either their desktops or the iOS mobile app. The inaugural phase presents about 170 slot games, catering to players aged 21 and above who possess an active online or mobile account with Bally’s.

This digital gaming platform’s public launch succeeds a meticulous four-day technical trial, which commenced on Friday. Stakelogic, the live table games supplier, plays a pivotal role in this release by providing live dealer and table games software along with cutting-edge studio technology.

Dominick Ruggerio, the Rhode Island Senate president, asserted that the introduction of iGaming ensures the state’s sustained prominence in the fiercely competitive gaming sector.

On the legislative front, Rhode Island joined the ranks of US states endorsing the necessary legislation on June 22, 2023. The enactment of Senate Bill 948, signed by Governor Dan McKee, effectively expanded Bally’s casino monopoly from the physical realm into the dynamic domain of iGaming.

In 2021, state lawmakers sanctioned a law that granted Bally’s, along with its gaming supplier IGT, an exclusive 20-year no-bid contract to oversee both of Rhode Island’s land-based casinos, Bally’s Twin Rivers Lincoln Casino Resort and Bally’s Tiverton Casino & Hotel.

This legislation extends Bally’s existing monopoly in the state’s casino landscape to encompass iGaming. Consequently, Bally’s online subsidiary, Gamesys, now serves as the sole operator permitted to engage in online gaming activities within the state.

The law mandates a 50% tax on online slot revenue, with the remaining funds divided between Bally’s and IGT. Conversely, table games will be subject to a more moderate 18% revenue tax.

In preparation for the iGaming rollout, Bally’s has established a state-of-the-art 4,000-square-foot Live Dealer Table Games studio at Twin Rivers.

Rhode Island’s iGaming regulation, overseen by the Rhode Island Division of the Lottery and directed by Mark Furcolo, allows exceptions for betting outside the state under specific circumstances.

The launch of iGaming coincides with a decline in sports betting figures, notably a 28.1% drop in January’s handle. Bally’s reported an 8.6% revenue increase to $2.45 billion in 2023, attributing the growth to its interactive iGaming business, which experienced a 37.8% surge in North American revenue to $112.6 million.