Rhode Island Legal Online Sports Betting Guide For 2024

Is Sports Betting Legal In Rhode Island As Of 2024?

Rhode Island gambling laws allow for online state-regulated sports betting and in-person wagering. This means you can find legal online sports betting options through domestic sportsbooks.

However, online sports betting is also legal through the offshore sportsbooks outlined in this guide. Residents can participate in legal sports betting by using legitimate online sportsbook sites or by using a domestic sportsbook licensed by the state.

Using an offshore USA sportsbook site does not violate in gambling laws in RI.

Is Online Gambling Legal In Rhode Island?

Yes. Online sports betting is legal in RI and can be done using a domestic sportsbook site, or an offshore sports gambling website like the ones we feature above. International sports betting sites are not governed by federal or RI gambling laws and can legally accept members in the area without getting anyone into trouble.

Offshore sportsbook sites offer many advantages over state-regulated options, like the ability to deposit with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and the inclusion of odds for betting on politics and entertainment.

How To Sports Bet In Rhode Island

Before getting started, we ask that everyone read through our online sportsbook reviews and decide on which books to join. We say books in the plural because it is wise to join more than one so that the betting lines can be shopped for higher payouts.

Once the decision has been made on the betting sites to become members with, click on the links we've provided here and then press the join button at the top of their homepage. Submit the requested data to create a new account and create a sportsbook login.

Deposit funds into your account using US dollars or cryptocurrency, and think about opting for a sportsbook bonus offer for some extra betting cash at the sportsbook. Once your account is funded, click on the sportsbook tab and place a bet on your game of choice.

Where Can I Bet On Sports In RI?

There are three choices for domestic sports betting in RI. The two retail sportsbook locations in RI are located within Bally’s Tiverton IGT and Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casinos. The third option is the state-ran sportsbook app, sportsbook RI.

Tablets (iPads), smartphones (iPhones, Android), and PCs in RI can also wager on sports using the top offshore sportsbooks we've listed on this page. They offer more plentiful sports betting lines and also accept cryptocurrency.

Are There Tribal Casinos In RI?

There are no Native American casinos inside Rhode Island, but there are two gambling venues - Bally's Riverton and Bally's Twin River. These two casinos feature the same style of real money games that you'd expect to see in Vegas gambling locations, from slots, blackjack, backgammon, craps, and a full poker room.

RI does not allow for state-sponsored casino gambling over the web, but that can be done legally using any of the offshore betting sites listed here on this page. They offer lawful real money casino games over the web as long as members meet the minimum age requirement and possess a web-ready device.

Rhode Island Mobile Sports Betting Apps

There are options for domestic and offshore sports betting apps using iPhones, iPads, and Android smartphones and tablets in Rhode Island. Sportsbook RI is the only mobile sports betting app offered domestically in Rhode Island and requires a minimum age of 18 to download and place a wager with.

The offshore sports betting apps we endorse here at USASBS can be pulled up using the latest smartphones and tablets and offer 18+ gamblers in RI a safe and legal alternative for gambling on their favorite teams while on the go. There is no download required, as these betting apps are accessed using mobile browsers like Opera and Safari.

How Federal Laws Affect The Betting Landscape In Rhode Island

There are several relevant US sports betting laws that are applicable to American gamblers. The Federal Wire Act prohibits the placing of bets with US-based online sportsbooks across state lines. That’s not the only federal law that pertains to sports betting.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), pertains to the financial side of online gambling, and provides regulatory oversight to gambling-related transactions and deals with financial institutions and how they process these transactions.

These federal laws pertain only to US-based online gambling and sportsbooks. The legal offshore sportsbooks we suggest in this guide are outside the jurisdiction of US federal law, so they are safe for Rhode Island residents to use.

State-Specific Gambling Laws In Rhode Island

Rhode Island’s gambling laws are straightforward. The state-regulated forms of gambling come through the state Lottery and through the two casinos in the state. Both areas where the casinos are located had voter referendums to permit live games like poker, though it only passed for the Twin River casino.

Rhode Island recently passed sports betting legislation and launched domestic sports betting in November of 2018. State gambling laws and statutes can be found here: RI Gambling Laws. State-based gambling in Rhode Island is overseen through four primary agencies: the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation; Rhode Island State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit; Rhode Island Lottery Commission and the Rhode Island Sweepstakes - Games of Chance.

Why Wasn’t Rhode Island Exempted From PASPA?

The only four states that were exempted from PASPA were Oregon, Montana, Delaware, and Nevada. The reason these states were exempt is that they already had some form of legal state-regulated sports betting in place. Out of these four states, Nevada is the only one with full-fledged sportsbooks.

The other states had some other form of sports gambling (like through the Lottery, for example). In 1992, when PASPA was passed, Rhode Island had no form of sports betting or any ongoing efforts to bring it to the state, so it fell under the clout of PASPA.

Since PASPA was repealed in 2018, states are now enacting sports betting laws across America.