Rhode Island

Online Gambling & Casinos in Rhode Island

Considering the population of Rhode Island is just over 1 million, The Ocean State is quite impressive for the availability of legal forms of gambling. On the one hand, players find traditional forms of gambling, including pari-mutuel wagering, commercial casinos, a state lottery, and charitable gaming. On the other hand, players can also enjoy VLTs and retail & online sports betting.

Admittedly, 2 commercial casinos are not exactly a vast selection. Still, it’s an opportunity for visitors to play their favorite slot machines, table games, and retail sportsbooks. Alternatively, players could travel to Massachusetts or Connecticut, as each state also has 2 land-based casinos.

Regrettably, interactive gaming (online gambling and casinos) is not legal in Rhode Island. This means that players who want to play Vegas-style games and can’t get to a land-based casino have few options. This has been a catalyst for players to visit offshore online casinos, like the ones we recommend in our article below.

Casino	Deposit Bonus	Get Started
	250% up to $1000	Play Now
	350% up to $2500	Play Now
	600% up to $6000	Play Now

Best New Casinos in Rhode Island

Some of the best new casinos in Rhode Island, like the ones below, are available online. Fortunately, players from Rhode Island can find a terrific list of Bitcoin casinos below. Players can quickly and safely deposit and withdraw in Bitcoins, US dollars, and often altcoins too.

These cryptocurrency casinos are optimized for online desktop, mobile, and tablet (Android/iOS). Table games (video poker, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, etc.), online slot machines, and specialty games are available in demo mode and real money. Although you cannot play free live dealer games, you may be able to watch a game in progress. Our USD/BTC casino games and slot machines come from leading providers: Realtime Gaming, Rival Games, ViG, etc. Each RNG is tested and certified for fairness by independent third-party companies.

Aside from having competitive welcome bonuses, regular players will find ongoing promotions, VIP programs, Comp Points, tournaments, reload bonuses, and more. Customer support is never further than a live chat, email, or telephone call away. You can read more about each of these casinos with our accompanying review.

Best Bonuses in Rhode Island Casinos

You can find some of the best bonuses in Rhode Island casinos below. That’s because players from Rhode Island have a pick of online casinos offering generous sign-up no deposit bonuses, deposit bonuses (when depositing in USD or Bitcoins), and free spins. Find out more about qualifying games, the amount of bonus money you can collect, bonus T&Cs, wagering requirements, etc.

Rhode Island Gambling Overview

Gambling is an important source of revenue in Rhode Island, accounting for approximately one-third of the annual budget. Rhode Island’s casinos are run by industry giants IGT and Bally’s Corp under a joint venture. Players can enjoy VLTs, table games, and retail sportsbooks (all operated by the Rhode Island Lottery). In addition, visitors can find racebooks at both facilities.

Charitable gaming (raffles & bingo), lottery games, and lottery-run online sports betting are also permitted. Fantasy contests are considered legal despite not having been formally authorized and remaining unregulated.

State Lottery

On a per-capita basis, Rhode Islanders are number one for lottery purchases in the United States. The Rhode Island Lottery has contributed $6.7+ billion towards state coffers, funding education, the environment, and health care. Tickets can be purchased across the state in restaurants, convenience stores, and other authorized locations.

Interestingly, the Rhode Island Lottery is a founding member of the Multi-State Lottery Association, allowing smaller states to pool receipts to offer much larger prizes. This led to the creation and success of Mega Millions, Powerball, and Lucky For Life multi-state draws. Additionally, the lottery also offers state draws, keno, scratch tickets, pull-tab games, and instant games. It is also responsible for the video lottery terminals and table games available at Tiverton Casino Hotel and Twin River Casino Hotel.

Charitable Gaming

The Charitable Gaming Unit of the Rhode Island State Police is responsible for enforcement in the state. Permitted charitable games include bingo and raffles offered by authorized charitable organizations: police, labor, fraternal, social service, civic, philanthropic, education, humane and patriotic. These entities must have been registered and licensed for at least two years before offering events.

Bingo laws are less strict for charitable organizations not offering special bingo game events more than once every six months or offering prizes of no more than $300.

Games of chance, including blackjack, roulette, craps, Texas Hold’em, poker, pull-tab lottery tickets, etc., are strictly prohibited. The only exception is if there is no monetary consideration.

Pari-Mutuel Wagering

Both casinos in Rhode Island offer state-of-the-art simulcast theatres for harness, thoroughbred, and greyhound racing simulcast events for pari-mutuel betting. Jai alai simulcast games are available all year round from Florida and Dania. Pari-mutuel wagering is regulated by the Department of Business Regulation. There is no longer any live horse racing in Rhode Island since the Newport Grand, a commercial horseracing track, closed in August 2018.

Land-Based Casinos

The two commercial casinos in Rhode Island are located in the northern and eastern parts of the state. Both casinos offer Vegas-style casino games: table games (blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, Let It Ride, VLTs, a racebook, and a sportsbook. Visitors can also find live poker rooms where they compete against other players. Both casinos are also hotels offering entertainment, dining, and accommodations. Rhode Island has no tribal casinos.

Commercial Casinos	Address	Website
Twin River Casino Hotel	100 Twin River Rd – Lincoln, RI 02865	twinriver.com
Tiverton Casino Hotel	777 Tiverton Casino Blvd, -Tiverton, RI 02878	twinrivertiverton.com

Rhode Island Casinos Map

 

 

Sports Betting

Rhode Island retail sportsbooks are available at the state’s two commercial casinos. Furthermore, the state offers online & mobile (powered by William Hill) through the state lottery’s official Sportsbook Rhode Island website. Players can legally wager on professional sports leagues. However, bets on collegiate sports or athletic events within Rhode Island are prohibited.

VLTs

The Rhode Island Lottery operates VLTs in the state’s two commercial casinos. There are over 4,100 VLTs at the Twin River Casino Hotel and another 1,000+ at The Tiverton Casino Hotel. The RTP of VLTs over the last year has hovered around 92%. The games are popular, with a net terminal income of close to $40 million per month in the first half of 2021.

Rhode Island Gambling History

The Rhode Island Lottery was born out of a constitutional amendment in 1973 that passed by a margin of 3 to 1. The first lottery ticket was sold the following year after legislation was passed, authorizing and regulating the industry. In 1987, Rhode Island became a founding member of the Multi-State Lottery Association. Fast forward five years to 1992 when video lottery terminals (VLTs) were authorized and regulated in the state’s 2 casinos.

In 2012, a referendum passed in Lincoln and statewide allowing lottery-operated table games in Twin River Casino. It went live in 2013. The same referendum failed in the city of Newport. When the Newport facility closed in 2018, its license was transferred to Tiverton. Retail sports betting started on November 26, 2018, at the Twin River Casino Hotel and a few days later at Tiverton Casino Hotel. Online and mobile sports betting, offered by the Rhode Island Lottery, began in 2019.

In 1979, charitable gaming (poker nights, Las Vegas Nights, raffles, weekly club raffles, and bazaars) outside bingo was assigned to The Rhode Island General Assembly for regulatory enforcement. Until then, The Lottery Commission had responsibility.

Before 1982, bingo law abuse became so rampant that it led to a statewide grand jury investigation, resulting in several indictments and recommendations. One of them was to add bingo to other games of chance, already regulated by the state police. A new law in 1983 transferred regulatory powers to the State Police. In 1993, the General Assembly removed Las Vegas nights and Vegas-style games of chance from authorized forms of charitable gaming.

On November 6, 2012, Rhode Island approved the Rhode Island Casino Gambling Measure to allow casino gambling at the Twin River location. It was officially signed into law by Gov Geena Raimondo.

Road Island’s attorney general ruled daily fantasy sports legal and urged regulations as far back as February 2016. An Act was introduced (H 7938) in March 2016 to establish the Fantasy Contest Act. However, there has been no progress to date to authorize or regulate the activity.

Rhode Island Gambling FAQ

What is the legal gambling age in Rhode Island?

The legal gambling age in Rhode Island for all forms of gambling is 18+.

Is sports betting legal in Rhode Island?

Yes, sports betting is permitted at the state’s two retail sportsbook casinos. Alternatively, online sports betting online (including mobile) is only permitted at Sportsbook Rhode Island Rhode, part of the state lottery corporation.

Does Rhode Island have land-based casinos?

Rhode Island has 2 land-based commercial casinos, offering table games, racebook, VLTs, and sportsbooks.

Are fantasy sports contests legal in Rhode Island?

Although the Atty Gen back in 2016 stated his belief that fantasy sports contests are legal, it has yet to be formally authorized and regulated in Rhode Island. Still, players in Rhode Island are free to participate in fantasy contests.

Can I play video lottery terminal games in Rhode Island?

Yes, the Rhode Island Lottery offers VLTs in the state’s two land-based commercial casinos.

Can I find pari-mutuel wagering in Rhode Island?

Although there are no live horse racing tracks, simulcast pari-mutuel wagering is available at Rhode Island’s two commercial casinos.

Conclusion

Rhode Island packs a lot of gambling punch into such a small state. It offers most of the traditional forms of gambling and a few modern ones. Still, interactive gaming is not one of them. With just 2 casinos in the state, it’s no wonder that some players have chosen to play at online casinos to get their fill of online slots and table games.

Find out more about gambling in The Ocean State, including recommendations for the best online casinos in Rhode Island and the best casino bonuses. Remember to bookmark our page and come again soon for page updates.