Rhode Island Sports Betting Bill Considered By House Committee

• RI SB 37 will be discussed by a committee in the House
• This bill has already been passed by the State Senate
• If this bill passes, mobile sports betting will be legal in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A mobile sports wagering bill is going to be considered by a committee in the State’s House on Tuesday.

The House Finance Committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss RI SB 37 which aims to legalize mobile sports wagering in the state. This will allow for more freedom in sports betting in Rhode Island.

Bet Anywhere And Anytime

The bill is aiming to allow bettors in Rhode Island to have as much freedom as possible. Once someone registers at one of the two casinos that have sportsbooks, they will be able to access the mobile sports betting app. Bettors will not have the option to download the app before they go to the casino to register.

Once they have access to the app, they are allowed to place their sports bets wherever they want. The only rule they will have to be concerned with is bettors cannot use the app outside of Rhode Island borders.

No Change In Taxes

Lawmakers are currently planning to collect tax revenue in the same way they have been doing from the land-based locations. Right now, the two sportsbooks in Rhode Island are taxed 51 percent. That money goes directly to the state. Vendors operating the sportsbooks are receiving 32 percent of the profit, leaving 17 percent for the casinos themselves. The state plans on doing the same for mobile wagering.

The Money Is In Mobile Wagering

Lawmakers are hoping that legalizing mobile wagering will allow them to collect more revenue from sports betting. According to a report by the Rhode Island Lottery, $19 million was wagered by Rhode Island bettors. Of that money, $18.9 million was won back. That left the sportsbooks with $159,978 in revenue and half of that money goes to the state.

Mobile wagering should help increase those numbers for the state. This can be proven by looking at New Jersey. A report from the New Jersey Division of Gaming showed that about 80 percent of the taxed money from sports wagering came from mobile wagering.

With how well New Jersey has done, RI lawmakers in the House Finance Committee have to consider how much the state can gain if they vote and approve of this mobile sports betting bill. If the committee approves the bill, it will go to the main House floor to receive a final vote before going to Governor Gina Raimondo for her signature.