Gambling Age In Ri
- Rhode Island gamblers have the lowest age requirement in place - an age restriction of 18. If you are 18 years of age there is no form of gambling that you are prohibited from accessing, both online or through a live setting. Rhode Island Online Gambling Laws.
- Under that statute, generally speaking, gambling is unlawful unless it is The government of a province to conduct and manage lottery schemes in accordance with any law enacted by the Under the ri legal gambling age Gaming warum funktioniert der roulette trick nicht Control Act, the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Restriction of VLTs to age.
Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the nation, but its residents have access to a wide range of gambling options. Horse race betting was legalized in 1934, but both of the local racetracks were closed down in the 1970s due to financial difficulties.
The legal gambling age for online casinos in the US is 18. However, that requirement might vary between different states. Nevertheless, wagering online is viewed as the more liberal option compared to betting in land-based establishments. Learn more about online casino age requirements from our segment called importance of restrictions. Rhode Island recently legalized domestic sports gambling at its Twin River casino locations. At this moment, these casinos are the only RI venues permitted to offer state-licensed sports gambling to those 18 and older. Legal Gambling Age in Rhode Island The minimum age to participate in any form of gambling in Rhode Island is 18. Rhode Island Gambling Options Casino: There is a single state-run casino, offering class-III table games and video slots.
In 1973, Rhode Island amended its constitution and launched a state lottery. Further referendums authorized pull-tab games and bingo. Horse race betting was also re-introduced to the state via off-track betting facilities at Newport Jai Alai and Lincoln Park.
In 1992, the General Assembly allowed VLTs at those facilities in response to Foxwoods Resort Casino being opened in Connecticut. However, table games wouldn’t be introduced to the state until 2012. In 2003, Newport Jai Alai was converted into a VLT parlor, which was ultimately closed down in 2018 to make room for a new casino in Tiverton. Lincoln Park was renamed Twin River Casino in 2007 and remains open to this day.
Rhode Island Gambling Law Summary
Rhode Island regulations define gambling as “directly or indirectly setting up, publicly or privately, any chance, game or device for the purpose of disposing of money, or assisting others in such actions.” The law is focused on illegal gambling operators and their employees. Participating in unauthorized games isn’t explicitly prohibited, but acting as a dealer, banker, or lookout carries a sentence of up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. Even promoting illegal gambling is considered a felony and is punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000.
Rhode Island lawmakers haven’t authorized casino-style online gambling or poker so far, so local gambling enthusiasts don’t have access to any legitimate, reliable sites.
Rhode Island General Laws § 11-19-1 et seq. and § 41-3-1 et seq cover all gambling-related matters. The minimum gambling age is 18.
Online Gambling in Rhode Island
Gambling in the Rhode Island area is regulated by the Rhode Island General Laws, Section 11. The local laws don’t mention online gambling in any shape or form. Furthermore, while the current regulations are very harsh when it comes to dealing with illegal gambling operators, they don’t address the participants of illegal gambling activities. The only type of criminal activity that could be associated with individual gamblers is “frequenting a gambling place,” which could land you for up to 30 days in jail. However, this rule applies exclusively to physical locations. Consequently, the local authorities don’t bother with going after online gamblers – and even if they did, it’s very doubtful they’d be able to get a conviction.
It’s worth noting that Rhode Island was the first state to hold hearings about legal sports betting when the Supreme Court struck down the federal PASPA ban on this form of gambling. The bill authorizing the local casinos to begin offering sports betting Gov. Gina Raimondo signed services on June 22, 2018. Internet betting was initially off-limits, but in March 2019, the House voted in favor of allowing sportsbooks to offer online betting and betting on the go. The new services are expected to launch in September or October this year.
Rhode Island Casinos
Rhode Island residents have access to two land-based gambling establishments. The first, Twin River Casino, is located in Lincoln, while the second, Twin River Tiverton Casino and Hotel, is located in Tiverton. The same company owns both venues, and both offer traditional table games and VLTs, which are functionally identical with slots.
Online games are currently unavailable, and introducing them to the state would require a voter referendum. This wouldn’t be unprecedented since local lawmakers already approved gambling-related referenda in 2012 and 2016, but it should be noted that the closest opportunity to challenge the current status quo will come in 2020.
Rhode Island Poker
The Twin River Casino in Lincoln operates a 22-table poker room, which hosts $1/$2 and $2/$5 No-Limit Hold ’em cash games daily. High-stakes No-Limit Hold ’em, Limit Hold ’em, and Stud are also available occasionally, but unfortunately, the Casino isn’t huge on poker tournaments.
Online poker play is limited to social sites, but as mentioned above, the situation could change following a voter referendum. It should be noted that playing on offshore sites isn’t explicitly prohibited, but players who engage in that kind of activity would be left no legal recourse in case of foul play on the operator’s side.
Rhode Island Sports Betting
Rhode Island legislators legalized land-based betting in June 2018 and followed up on this bill with another piece of legislation authorizing betting over the internet in March 2019. Twin River Casino is expected to open a fully-fledged sportsbook later this year, while the Tiverton facility will likely only have a betting kiosk. As for the online services, it’s still too early to speculate, but it seems almost certain that both venues will be connected to a single platform.
Also, Rhode Island allows off-track betting on horse and greyhound races. Residents of the Ocean State can engage in this form of gambling via popular racing platforms, TwinSpires, and TVG.
Rhode Island Daily Fantasy Sports
Rhode Island lawmakers haven’t passed a bill that’d regulate paid-entry DFS contests yet, even though legislation of this kind has been proposed in 2017 and 2018. Fortunately, there’s zero doubt that DFS contests are already legal under the current law. In 2016, Rhode Island Attorney General, Peter Kilmartin, issued the following statement: “Applying the ‘dominant factor’ standard, I do not believe that daily fantasy sports constitute a ‘game of chance’ and therefore, daily fantasy sports games do not constitute a lottery under Rhode Island law.”
Thus, Rhode Island-based sports enthusiasts are free to access all major DFS platforms, including FanDuel, DraftKings, Yahoo DFS, and CBS Sports.
Rhode Island Lotteries
Rhode Island lottery offers a wide range of interstate and intrastate lotto games, including Mega Millions and Powerball, as well as keno, instant scratchers, and pull-tab games. Rhode Island politicians considered authorizing online lottery ticket sales and even proposed a bill that’d allow online scratcher ticket sales, but unfortunately, this bill wasn’t even voted on. As it stands, all tickets have to be purchased from land-based retailers, and the lottery website doesn’t serve any purpose beyond providing Rhode Island residents with up-to-date some general information and latest lotto drawing results.
Rhode Island Bingo
Bingo is available as a charity game in senior retirement facilities and as a commercial game at the Twin River Casino. Regulated online bingo is not available, but playing on offshore sites isn’t explicitly prohibited. It should be noted that, much like in the case of online poker, players who deposit to such sites won’t be able to rely on the state when it comes to customer protection.
Rhode Island Online Gambling FAQ
What types of gambling are available in RI?
Rhode Island isn’t an excellent place for casino-style gambling enthusiasts, but fortunately, the state has some redeeming qualities when it comes to land-based games of chance. Rhode Island has two large pari-mutuel facilities, and both of them allow you to play blackjack, keno, slots, and video poker using VLTs. Please note that only one of those facilities is allowed to offer table games, which is a result of the referendum held in early 2014. Rhode Island allows charitable gambling and has a state-run lottery, but doesn’t have any regulated online gambling sites.
What laws cover online gambling in Rhode Island?
Most of the issues about placing real money wagers are covered by Section 11 of the Rhode Island General Laws. Please note that while the law is rather strict when it comes to unlicensed land-based gambling, it doesn’t appear to criminalize playing games of chance over the internet. Since no players have been prosecuted so far, most experts simply assume that online gambling is legal within the borders of Rhode Island.
Is real money online gambling legal in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island gambling laws don’t criminalize online play, so there is nothing to stop you from enjoying your favorite games or engaging in some sports betting action on offshore sites.
Which offshore gambling sites accept Rhode Island residents?
Offshore sites value players from Rhode Island, so if you live there, you don’t have to worry about being unable to take advantage of any gambling-related offer.
What are the most popular banking options supported by Rhode Island-facing sites?
Visa and MasterCard deposits remain fairly popular among Rhode Island residents, but you should keep in mind that your card has to be cleared for international transactions to be accepted by an offshore gambling site. When it comes to cashing out, we recommend going for wire transfers over checks, as relying on the latter method tends to get rather expensive unless you’re moving massive amounts of cash.
Does Rhode Island offer any intrastate online gambling?
Unfortunately, Rhode Island legislators have never made an effort to build a local online gaming market in the past. As a result, Rhode Island -residents have no Rhode Island-exclusive sites to play on.
Is it likely for Rhode Island to regulate online gambling?
Rhode Island might team up with Delaware when it comes to iGaming, but this process is likely to take some time. Consequently, it’s almost impossible for Rhode Island to introduce any iGaming-friendly legislation in 2015 or 2016.
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Rhode Island is the smallest state in terms of area, which justifies their lack of professional sports teams. Still, RI is one of the states with access to legal and safe sports betting through sanctioned offshore sportsbooks, as well as, domestic in-person sports betting options.
While the RI domestic sports betting is still new and limited to in-person bets only, licensed offshore sportsbooks have been servicing the state for nearly two decades online.
As one of the first regions to launch state-regulated sports gambling, it would be almost a year later before Rhode Island would expand its sports betting laws to allow mobile wagering.
It is possible they wanted to see how the DOJ reinterpretation of the Wire Act plays out as they would benefit from sharing player pools with larger states through an interstate gambling compact, something that is currently prohibited by the DOJ's new application of the law.
Is Sports Betting Legal In Rhode Island?
Yes. Rhode Island started accepting domestic sports bets in November 2018. There are currently only two casinos in Rhode Island, both of which now accepts bets on sports.
There are also no state-based online sports betting apps yet functioning in the state (these are launching soon), but RI residents do have access to legally operating offshore sportsbooks that service the United States.
Rhode Island Sports Betting Laws
In 2018, the Rhode Island legislature passed a sports betting law that authorized in-state and mobile sports betting. Currently, the two domestic casinos have obtained state licenses to offer sports betting but mobile sports betting is being challenged by a select few state officials.
Rhode Island Sports Betting Bills
Rhode Island has several bills being brought before the state legislature at this time, with two of them undergoing legislative hearings in March of 2020 (see information below). To stay up to date and to see changes that take place you can visit our Bill Tracker page to see sports betting laws by state.
RI Sports Betting Legislative Hearings
Bill | Date | Description |
---|---|---|
H7523 | 3/11/2020 | House Finance Hearing |
S2337 | 3/12/2020 | Senate Finance Hearing |
Sportsbooks That Legally Accept Rhode Island Residents
We have compiled results into the table below of our recommended sportsbooks which have passed our quality assurance test. We screen for important components like legal licensing and regulation, betting line options, varied wagering types, comprehensive security to protect your personal and financial information, mobile and live betting capabilities.
You can find a more detailed analysis of the brands listed below by visiting our USA sportsbook reviews age where our industry professionals go into full detail about every aspect of the online sportsbook.
Site Name | Current Bonus | U.S. | Visit Site |
---|---|---|---|
50% Max $250 | Visit Site Review | ||
2 | 100% Max $1,000 | Visit Site Review | |
3 | 50% Max $1,000 | Visit Site Review | |
4 | 100% Max $300 | Visit Site Review |
Sportsbooks in Rhode Island
There are only two casinos in Rhode Island, both of which are allowed to accept sports wagers.
- Twin River Casino Hotel
- Tiverton Casino Hotel
RI Sports Betting Details

Here you will find all the details surrounding the domestic sports betting landscape in Rhode Island.
- Legal Sports Betting: In-state, Offshore
- Launch Date: November 26th, 2018
- Rhode Island Minimum Sports Betting Age: 18 years old
- Land-Based Sportsbooks: Two locations only
- Online Sportsbook: Offshore Only, domestic TBA
- Mobile Betting App: Offshore Only At This Time
- In-Play/Live Betting: In-state; Offshore
- Estimated Revenue: $11.5 million
- Eligible Operators: State-licensed Casinos, apps TBA
- Commission: State lottery
- Licensing Fee: N/A
- Tax Rate: State (51%), IGT (32%), Casino (17%)
What You Can Bet On In Rhode Island :
- In-state: All bet types (except props) and professional and college sports are allowed
- Offshore: All betting lines, odds, and props for all games, teams, and players across all college and professional sports
What You Can't Bet On In Rhode Island:
- In-state:US Politics
- Offshore: No restrictions
Where Can I Bet On Sports In Rhode Island?
- Twin River Casino (Lincoln)
- Twin River Tiverton Casino
Biggest Sports Betting Cities In Rhode Island
Sports Betting In Providence, RI
Sports teams in Providence, Rhode Island are practically nonexistent. There are few secondary league teams, but the real US sports betting action lies with big-name professional and college teams. Lucky for residents, betting is not restricted to teams in your state.
Rhode Island bettors can place wagers on any team in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB or NCAA through these sportsbooks. You will also find betting lines on international teams. Providence is the capital and most populated city of RI, there are a total of 5 college campuses where students often participate in sporting activities.
However, even with all the colleges, there are no major universities with big athletic programs so residents often wager on their favorite out of state team.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sports Betting In RI
Will I Get Arrested For Betting On Sports In Rhode Island?
No. Sports betting is legal in Rhode Island and residents have the option to use the domestic casinos or online offshore sportsbooks that offer betting lines to Rhode Island residents.
Is Mobile Sports Betting Allowed In Rhode Island?
Rhode Island is currently seeking to allow mobile sportsbooks to operate within state lines but they have run into opposition. Mobile sportsbooks are expected to launch before the end of 2020, but there is no definitive launch date.
Where Can I Find Domestic Sportsbooks In Rhode Island?
There are only two casinos in Rhode Island, both of which offer domestic sports betting. Sports betting was officially launched state-wide on November 26th, 2018. Today, Rhode Island sportsbooks can only be found at the following locations.
- Twin River Casino (Lincoln)
- Twin River Tiverton Casino and Hotel (Tiverton)
What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Rhode Island?
To bet on sports in Rhode Island casinos or online with offshore sportsbooks, residents must be at least 18 years of age.
Who Regulates Sports Betting In Rhode Island?
The State Lottery is the current regulator for sports betting across the state of Rhode Island.
Gambling Age In Rise
Rhode Island Legislative Resources
Rhode Island Gambling Resources
Here at SBL we want you to play and wager on sports responsibly. If you or someone you know has a problem with sports gambling please contact the Rhode Island National Council on Problem Gambling.
RI Sports Betting
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Gambling Age In Ri
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