Rhode Island Casinos, Online Gambling and Sports Betting

Rhode Island's Licensed Online Casino — Bally's

Rhode Island became the seventh US state to launch regulated online casino gaming on March 5, 2024, when Bally's Corporation soft-launched its iGaming product under the Rhode Island Lottery's oversight. SB 948, authorising iGaming, was signed into law by Governor Dan McKee in June 2023.

Bally's operates under an exclusive 20-year agreement as both the state's iGaming operator and its two land-based casinos. The online platform offers slots, live dealer table games (blackjack, roulette, baccarat) — streamed live from a 4,000 sq ft studio Bally's built at its Twin River Lincoln property — plus an expanding catalogue of table games. Players must be 21+ and physically located within Rhode Island to access real-money games.

In its first full fiscal year (through June 2025), Bally's iGaming platform delivered a $20.8 million net profit to Rhode Island's General Fund. February 2026 saw total Rhode Island casino revenue reach $89.7 million — a near-record monthly total.

To play: create an account at ballycasino.com/ri or download the Bally Bet Casino app. Age verification (21+) and geolocation are required.

Social Casinos — Free Play, No Real Money

• 7 Seas Casino — Free-to-play Vegas-style slots. No prizes, no purchase.
• Vegas World — Free slots, poker, and table games.
• Casino World — A broad range of free social casino games.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is online casino gaming legal in Rhode Island?

Yes. Rhode Island became the seventh US state to launch regulated online casino gaming on March 5, 2024. SB 948, signed by Governor McKee in June 2023, authorised iGaming and extended Bally's exclusive casino contract to cover the online channel. Bally's is the sole licensed operator — there are no competing brands. The platform generated $20.8 million net to the Rhode Island General Fund in its first full fiscal year. Players must be 21+ and physically present in Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Division of the Lottery regulates iGaming.

Is online sports betting legal in Rhode Island?

Yes. Rhode Island was one of the first states to offer online sports betting after PASPA was repealed, launching in 2019. Bally's is the sole licensed sportsbook operator — both online (via the Bally Bet app) and at retail locations in the two casinos. Sports betting revenue declined 3.2% in the most recent fiscal year, primarily due to competition from neighbouring Connecticut and Massachusetts (which launched sports betting in 2023). Lawmakers have pushed to add 2-5 competing sportsbook operators — a Senate bill cleared the chamber in 2025 but stalled in the House. Betting on in-state college teams is prohibited. Online sports betting age is 21; retail is 18.

What are the tax rates for Rhode Island iGaming?

Rhode Island's iGaming tax structure is among the most state-favourable in the US. The state receives approximately 62% of online slot revenue (50% tax plus additional contractual revenue share); online table games are taxed at 18%. Retail casino VLTs are taxed at approximately 61-72% of revenue depending on the property. These high rates mean Bally's is constrained in its operator margins, but ensure strong state revenue generation — the entire iGaming vertical contributed $20.8 million net to the General Fund in its first full year.

How many casinos are in Rhode Island?

Two — both operated by Bally's Corporation, making Rhode Island one of the most concentrated casino markets in the US. Bally's Twin River Lincoln (formerly Twin River Casino) is the larger property in Lincoln; Bally's Tiverton (formerly Tiverton Casino and Hotel, and before that Newport Grand) is the smaller property in Tiverton, near the Massachusetts border. There are no tribal casinos in Rhode Island.

Why is Rhode Island's sports betting market declining?

Rhode Island was first in New England with legal sports betting (2019), giving it an early market advantage. However, Connecticut launched sports betting in 2021 and Massachusetts launched in March 2023 — the latter with a competitive multi-operator market (FanDuel, DraftKings, and others) and significantly larger population. Rhode Islanders who live near the Massachusetts or Connecticut borders increasingly bet with those states' apps rather than Bally's RI. The monopoly model limits competitive pricing and product variety, accelerating migration to neighbouring markets. Rhode Island sports betting revenue to the General Fund fell from $19.2 million in FY2024 to $18.6 million in FY2025 — a 3.2% decline. Adding 2-5 additional sportsbook operators is the proposed solution; the enabling legislation stalled in the House in 2025 and remains a priority.

What responsible gambling resources are available in Rhode Island?

The Rhode Island Council on Problem Gambling helpline is available at 1-877-942-6253. The National Problem Gambling Helpline is available at 1-800-522-4700, 24/7 by phone, text, and live chat. Bally's is required to contribute at least $200,000 annually to state problem gambling programmes (and must fully fund initiatives if the cost exceeds that). Both casinos and the Bally's online platform offer self-exclusion. Rhode Island's Division of the Lottery oversees all gambling regulation.

Rhode Island Gambling Laws — The Lottery Division Model

Rhode Island gambling is regulated by the Rhode Island Division of the Lottery (part of the Department of Revenue), which oversees the state lottery, both casinos (under VLT and table game contracts), online casino gaming, and online sports betting. The Rhode Island State Police Charitable Gaming Unit oversees charitable gaming. There are no tribal gaming compacts in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island's casino model is unlike most US states. Rather than issuing independent commercial casino licences, the state retains ownership of the gambling operation and contracts a private operator (currently Bally's) to manage the facilities on the state's behalf. The state receives the majority of gaming revenue; the operator earns a management fee and a revenue share. This structure — essentially a state-managed casino monopoly — gives Rhode Island unusually high effective tax rates and unusually tight market concentration.

SB 948 (signed June 2023) extended this exclusive model to iGaming, giving Bally's the sole online casino licence in Rhode Island on the same terms. The live dealer games were streamed from a studio at Twin River, allowing the iGaming expansion to proceed without a voter referendum (which would have been required if it were treated as a new form of gambling rather than an extension of existing casino operations).

Rhode Island Gambling History

Rhode Island has a gambling history stretching back to the colonial era, when lotteries funded civic development and were supervised by community organisations including Masonic lodges. The 1843 state constitution prohibited lotteries. The Rhode Island Lottery was restored by voters in 1973 and began operations in 1974, with pull-tab scratch cards and bingo added in the 1980s.

Pari-mutuel horse racing was legalised in 1934 at Narragansett Park and Lincoln Downs. Both racetracks eventually closed, with Lincoln Downs transitioning into what would become Rhode Island's primary casino venue. Video lottery terminals were introduced in the 1990s at the Lincoln and Tiverton facilities, creating the racino model. The name "Twin River Casino" was adopted as the Lincoln property evolved from a VLT racino into a full casino offering.

Table games were approved in 2012 — adding blackjack, roulette, craps, poker, baccarat, and more to what had been a slots-only operation. Newport Grand (the state's second casino, located in Newport) was purchased by the Twin River Management Group in 2015. When Bally's Corporation acquired the Twin River casinos in 2020, it rebranded both properties: Twin River Casino became Bally's Twin River Lincoln, and the relocated Newport Grand (which had moved to Tiverton as Tiverton Casino and Hotel in 2018) became Bally's Tiverton.

Rhode Island launched online sports betting in 2019 — one of the first US states to do so after PASPA's repeal — and iGaming in March 2024, becoming the seventh US iGaming state.

Rhode Island's Two Casinos

• Bally's Twin River Lincoln (Lincoln) — The larger of Rhode Island's two casinos; 162,000 square feet of gaming space; approximately 4,200 video lottery machines; 110+ live gaming tables including poker, craps, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, Spanish 21, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, and Three Card Poker; hotel; multiple restaurants and bars; event center hosting concerts and entertainment; live dealer iGaming studio. The origin of this property is Lincoln Downs racetrack, converted to a VLT facility in the 1990s and progressively upgraded to its current full-casino status.
• Bally's Tiverton (Tiverton) — 85,000 square feet; approximately 1,000 video slot machines; 30+ live gaming tables; blackjack, baccarat, craps, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, roulette, Spanish 21, and Three Card Poker; 3-story hotel; restaurants and live entertainment. Located near the Massachusetts border, Bally's Tiverton draws significant patronage from southeastern Massachusetts — a market now increasingly competed for by Massachusetts's own legal casinos and sportsbooks.

Responsible Gambling in Rhode Island

• Rhode Island Council on Problem Gambling — 1-877-942-6253; at ricpg.org.
• National Problem Gambling Helpline — 1-800-522-4700, available 24/7 by phone, text, and live chat at ncpgambling.org.
• Self-exclusion — A single self-exclusion covers both Bally's casinos and the Bally's online casino and sportsbook; enrolment available at casino cage locations or through the Rhode Island Division of the Lottery.
• Bally's is contractually required to contribute a minimum of $200,000 annually toward state problem gambling programmes.

References

1. Rhode Island Lottery
2. Rhode Island State Police — Charitable Gaming Unit
3. Online gambling — are players at risk of prosecution?
4. American Gaming Association