• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Here’s Why Rhode Island Sports Betting’s Launch Is Delayed

Jill R. Dorson by Jill R. Dorson
November 13, 2018
in Regulation
rhode island sports betting tiveton

The gaming floor at Tiverton Casino in Rhode Island

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Rhode Island lawmakers were counting on an immediate windfall of revenue from sports betting when they legalized sports wagering in June. But five months later, neither of the state’s two commercial casinos have opened their sportsbooks, and the projected opening date of Oct. 1 has come and gone.

Why? Testing of software is still ongoing, and negotiations between the state’s two casinos and William Hill and IGT, who will operate the sportsbooks, is taking longer than expected, according to Rhode Island Department of Revenue chief of information and public relations Paul Grimaldi.

“Our expectation is for sports betting to begin around Thanksgiving. I cannot give you a specific date today as it is dependent on the completion of testing of the IGT/William Hill sports betting software,” Grimaldi told Sports Handle in an e-mail Tuesday. “They released the software to the Division of Lottery on Nov. 5  We expect two weeks +/- for completion of the testing. The sportsbook will start taking bets once the software is certified.”

Rhode Island Sports Betting Rollout Delayed by Testing and Negotiations With Vendors William Hill and IGT

rhode island sports betting


The delay, according to a Providence Journal story, will cost the state $12 million of its projected $23.5 million in sports betting revenue for the period July 2018-July 2019. That loss will be partially offset by tax revenue gains from sales tax and overall gambling revenue, according to the story.

“I am frustrated with the delay in the implementation of sports gaming, and hopeful that it will be available in the very near future,” Rhode Island president of the Senate Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-District 4) told Sports Handle via e-mail Tuesday. “Sports gaming provides the state with revenue that offsets reliance on taxes to support essential state services, such as education and fixing roads and bridges.”

The Twin River and Tiverton casinos are owned by the same company and William Hill and IGT, the only approved operators in the state, will run sportsbooks at both locations. IGT will provide the sports wagering platform and William Hill will handle risk-management. To date, there’s a single sports betting window under construction at Twin River’s old horse- and dog-racing track, according to the Boston Globe, that will open ahead of more permanent facilities.

Neither casino mentions sports betting on their websites. Tiverton opened in September, and presumably built a sportsbook into the casino floor.

Rhode Island’ 51 percent tax on net sports betting revenue will be the highest in the nation.

In the last six weeks, Rhode Island has missed out on several key sports betting events, including the local Boston Red Sox winning their fourth World Series in 15 years, the start of the NHL and NBA seasons as well as the heart of the college and professional football seasons.

Despite Delay, Rhode Island Will Be First New England State to Take Sports Bets, Though Connecticut and Massachusetts Could Be Among 2019’s First Movers

massachusetts sports betting casino mgm


But Rhode Island will still be the first of the New England states to open for sports betting. Lawmakers in both Connecticut and Massachusetts discussed sports betting during their 2018 sessions, but it didn’t get to a vote in either state.

Connecticut, which has the region’s oldest, most entrenched casinos – the tribal-owned Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun – ran into issues renegotiating tribal pacts months after lawmakers lambasted a representative from the professional leagues about the “integrity fee.”

Outgoing governor Dannel Malloy suggested a special session and offered to bridge the gap between the state and the tribes before setting a deadline for negotiations in August. Nothing materialized. The state of Massachusetts did commission a white paper to examine the feasibility of sports betting and the state’s first commercial casino, the MGM Springfield, opened in August. It sits just north of the Connecticut border and about an hour from the Rhode Island border.

Earlier in the session, several Massachusetts lawmakers filed comprehensive gaming bills that included sports betting and Representative Joseph Wagner (D-8th District), chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, told a local television station that sports betting should be “on the front burner.”

Share1TweetShare
Jill R. Dorson

Jill R. Dorson

Jill has covered everything from steeplechase to the NFL and then some during a more than 30-year career in sports journalism. The highlight of her career was covering Oakland Raiders during the Charles Woodson/Jon Gruden era, including the infamous “Snow Bowl” and the Raiders’ 2003 trip to Super Bowl XXXVII. Her specialty these days is covering sports betting legislation across the country. You can reach Jill at jill@bettercollective.com

Related Posts

get a grip graphic
Industry

Get A Grip — The Week In Sports Betting: Don’t Call Gambling ‘Risk-Free’

February 3, 2023
springfield thunderbirds betmgm opening
Industry

What’s Next For BetMGM As Entain Nears End Of Commitment To U.S. Joint Venture?

February 3, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

fanduel-retail-sportsbook-front

Requiem For The So-Called ‘Risk-Free Bet’

February 2, 2023
garnett mgm springfield

Sports Betting Launches In Massachusetts, Giving Three Retail Books A Head Start

January 31, 2023
fanatics-grand-opening

Fanatics Sportsbook At FedEx Field Offers Unique Retail Option In Maryland

January 23, 2023
Shutterstock

Missouri Legislators Lament Exodus Of Bettors To Neighboring States

January 27, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – Where To Play, Bonus Offers And Promo Codes

by Brian Pempus
February 2, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
February 3, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
January 17, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
October 20, 2022

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
October 6, 2022

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

gambling therapy
ncpg
igaming ontario
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (MI/NJ/OH/PA/WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).
19+. Please play responsibly. Terms and conditions apply. 
Individuals must be 19 years of age or older to participate in igaming in Ontario. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you, or someone you know, has a gambling problem in Ontario and wants help, please visit ConnexOntario or call their helpline at 1-866-531-2600. Operators on this website operate pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario.

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News

loading

Please wait while you are redirected to the right page...

Please share your location to continue.

Check our help guide for more info.

share your location