Rhode Island officials confirm online casino launch for March, other modalities to go live later
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Rhode Island is scheduled to introduce online casino gaming starting March 1st, marking its entry as the seventh American state to offer this form of legalized gambling.
Paul Grimaldi, spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Revenue (RIDOR), confirmed the planned launch date, although specifics remain murky. The Rhode Island Lottery, which is responsible for regulating gaming in the state and operates as a division of the RIDOR, will oversee and manage the new industry.
Providence-based Bally's Corporation, which operates the only two physical casinos in the state, will be the sole operator of iGaming, extending its monopoly to the online realm. The company has also been managing the state's sole online sports betting platform since September 2019.
“We plan on a March 1 launch in some form,” Grimaldi told Poker Industry PRO. “We may have more to share after the state Lottery Commission meeting the week of January 22.” Grimaldi did not disclose the name of the new iGaming platform.
The March 1 date means online casino gaming will launch in about six weeks, but live dealer games won't be available until April 1, as per a previous report. Meanwhile, online poker could have an even longer wait.
In anticipation of the upcoming launch, Bally's announced a partnership with supplier Stakelogic in September last year. The agreement followed the passage of the Rhode Island iGaming bill, on June 22, which stipulates that all online table games must use a live dealer.
As part of their partnership, Bally's will leverage Stakelogic's software and studio technology to launch Bally's live casino offering in North America. The casino and gaming operator intends to offer popular online live casino games such as Blackjack, Roulette and Baccarat in Rhode Island beginning in April 2024.
