Sports Betting Arrives in Rhode Island in Historic Year for US Gambling Industry

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Sports Betting Arrives in Rhode Island in Historic Year for US Gambling Industry

Rhode Island becomes eighth state to offer legal sports wagering in an eventful week for the US betting industry

Sports betting is coming to Rhode Island starting Monday, November 26, at Twin River Casino in Lincoln. The state will thus become the nation’s eighth one to be offering legal sports gambling and New England’s first one in a landmark year for the US gambling industry.

The Rhode Island General Assembly enacted a sports betting law back in June, and legal wagering services were expected to commence by October. However, delays of different nature pushed back the start of sports betting to the end of November.

The announcement about the official start of sports betting in Rhode Island arrived as the latest big news in an eventful week for US sports betting. Pennsylvania’s first wagering facility opened doors a few days ago. A new sportsbook was launched in West Virginia, as well. The state’s first legal betting operations commenced in late August.

Twin River Casino officials have previously said that the property will begin offering sports betting to its customers around Thanksgiving. As it can be seen they have almost lived up to that promise.

Sports betting operations will commence at the casino at 3 pm local time on Monday, when House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, and Twin River Worldwide Holdings Chairman John Taylor Jr. will place a ceremonial first bet.

Wagering services will initially be provided at a temporary facility on the third floor of the casino complex. Officials have called that temporary facility Phase 1. Customers will be serviced there while the main sportsbook is under development.

At first, gambling customers will be able to place wagers on US-based games. International competitions such as English Premier League and other European leagues are expected to be added later. Patti Doyle, a spokeswoman for Twin River Casino, has also said that “more exotic” bets will also be available in the betting lounge at a later date.

Under Rhode Island’s newly adopted sports betting law, gamblers will only be able to wager at physical sportsbooks. Online and mobile betting were not included in the state’s sports gambling framework.

Estimated Economic Impact

According to estimates, the state will collect $11.5 million in tax revenue from sports betting through the end of the fiscal year on June 30. The above-mentioned amount is significantly less than the original projection for tax revenue of $23.5 million that was based on the previously announced October 1 launch of Twin River Casino’s sports betting operation. The state expects to get $27.3 million in tax revenue next fiscal year.

Under Rhode Island gambling laws, legal sports betting operations are taxed at 51% on betting revenue.

According to projections, Rhode Island’s two Twin River casinos will annually handle $814 million in wagers. Twin River Casino in Tiverton is expected to launch its sportsbook sometime in December. The Tiverton casino complex opened doors to the public on September 1. Aside from an 85,000-square-foot gaming floor, it also features an 84-room, three-story hotel, and multiple entertainment options.

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