Rhode Island Legislators Draft Bill for Online Sportsbooks in State

Rhode Island legislators in the state have recently approved a bill that aims to expand the state’s online sportsbooks operators. SB748 is the bill that endeavors to change the state’s current sports wagering monopoly to a multiple online-sportsbook market.

Sportsbook Rhode Island, operated by IGT for the state lottery, is the only legal online sports betting platform.

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How Rhode Island Legislators Developed SB748

Originally, Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone’s bill first required licensing at least five online sportsbooks. It was then revised to allow two to five, but a later amendment by Ciccone raised the minimum number to three.

Moreover, Senate Majority Leader Ciccone’s amended bill proposal allows multiple online sportsbook licenses via competitive bidding. This could attract major brands like FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM to Rhode Island. That said, the amended bill ends IGT’s contract with the Lottery on Jan. 31, 2026, five months earlier than planned.

The amendment passed unanimously, and the full bill passed 30-2 on Wednesday night. It now heads to the House before the legislative session ends on June 30.

Ciccone stressed the burgeoning market of US online sports betting, and the potential revenue it could generate for Rhode Island. He noted that this new industry can be further cultivated by having legalized operators provide consumers with safer options,

“With legalized sports betting flourishing across the country, there is ample evidence on how this new industry works best for consumers and the state. And what we are seeing is that having only one company exclusively operate is not in the best interests of consumers or from a revenue generating standpoint. This bill will give our state’s sports bettors the options that they are clamoring for and in turn, will hopefully strengthen the revenue generated from sports betting in Rhode Island and not across the border in Massachusetts,” Ciccone added.