Rhode Island becomes the seventh state to launch online casino gaming
$5,000 Welcome Bonus
Residents of Rhode Island can place bets on casino games online starting at noon today as the state becomes the seventh in the US to launch such an app.
The online casino, iGaming, will allow residents to play slots and table games located in the state. Bally’s, the casino operator, says it expects the app to create between 50 and 75 jobs.
“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,” said Craig Eaton, President of Bally’s Rhode Island Operations, in a statement. He continued, “As with all gaming operations, the State will retain complete regulatory control of iGaming, with nearly 62 percent of the slot revenue and 15 percent of the table game revenue directed to the State.”
The launch of iGaming in Rhode Island follows a four-day technical trial period, during which a select group of guests were invited to experience the new online gaming program.
If you are 21 or over and located within Rhode Island, you can register for an account at Ballycasino.com or download the Bally Casino app. To start playing, you must also create an account by downloading the Bally Casino app or visiting Ballycasino.com.
Providence, Rhode Island, March 5, 2024: Bally’s will launch an online casino experience – known as iGaming – in the State of Rhode Island today at noon, which will allow customers to play slots and table games anywhere in the State of Rhode Island on desktop or on an iOS stand-alone mobile app.
The public launch of the online gaming product follows a four-day technical trial period in which select guests were invited to experience the new online gaming program starting last Friday, March 1.
According to Craig Eaton, President of Bally’s Rhode Island Operations,Rhode Island will become the seventh state in the nation to offer an online casino experience.
“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,” said Eaton. He continued, “As with all gaming operations, the State will retain complete regulatory control of iGaming, with nearly 62 percent of the slot revenue and 15 percent of the table game revenue directed to the State.”
To register and play Rhode Island online gaming, customers must meet two requirements: they must be at least 21 years old and physically located within the state. Customers must create an online account by downloading the Bally Casino app or visiting Ballycasino.com.
“I was proud to sponsor the legislation authorizing iGaming in Rhode Island, and I am excited for its implementation,” said Senate President Dominick Ruggerio. “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.”
Added Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, “This is a wonderful example of how the Legislature and the private sector can work together to develop initiatives that enhance state revenues, which in turn, benefit our taxpayers. I congratulate Bally’s and its Rhode Island leadership team on its successful launch of this online gaming program as well as on their efforts to continuously seek ways to keep Rhode Island at the forefront in this competitive New England gaming market.”
Bally’s has partnered with Stakelogic, a leading live table games supplier, to provide its Live Dealer/Table Games software and studio technology, as well as its operational excellence.
Approximately 170 slot games initially will be offered including many of the popular brick-and-mortar/retail casino games. The blackjack and roulette table games will feature a live dealer with whom online guests may ask questions of (via a chat tool) and may interact with other players as well.
Within the iGaming platform, participants can utilize Responsible Gaming tools to
control their time and financial activity on the site:
- Deposit Limits – Players may elect to set deposit limits on a daily, weekly, and/or monthly basis.
- Session Limits – Players can set limits on the length of wagering sessions. Once a limit is reached, the player is logged out.
- Spend/Wager Limits – Players can set daily, weekly, and monthly spending limits.
- Cool Off/Time Out – A time period is configurable to support State regulations. Standard configuration allows players to set a cool off period of 72-hours and up to 4 weeks.
- Self-Exclusion – The platform has the framework to work with State regulators requirements to ensure player self-exclusion requests are adhered to.
Bally’s and its union workforce constructed a 4,000 square foot Live Dealer Table Games studio at its Lincoln, Rhode Island casino located on the second floor.
When fully operational, Bally’s expects the iGaming program will allow for the creation of 50 to 75 new jobs, both full and part-time positions.
Rhode Island will join New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia in offering iGaming. The program includes initiatives to support responsible gaming efforts, requiring Bally’s to provide at least $50,000 in funding for problem gambling prevention and at least $200,000 to fund gambling treatment programs. The iGaming platform is also committed to the American Gaming Association’s “Code of Conduct” rollout as a minimum standard.
The iGaming app for iOS is available in the Apple Store; for Android users, a download is located on the ballyscasino.com website and will eventually be added to the Google Play Store.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
