What is the status of RI online sports betting? The first online and mobile sportsbook has launched in the Ocean State.
If you are in – or regularly visit – Rhode Island then you should definitely try to keep up with the latest RI Online Sports Betting news. There are some interesting times coming up including the inception of RI online casinos and horse racing.
We are going to go through the latest developments for RI online sports betting. Read on to find out what you can – and can’t – do at the moment.
Things are moving fast in sports betting. It is a good idea to know what is going on so you don’t miss out on the chance to get your Rhode Island sports betting going.
RI Online Sports Betting
The short answer to that question is – yes. Rhode Island sports betting has been legal since 2018, an online wagering bill has passed into law in March 2019, and as of September 2019, there is an online and mobile sportsbook available through Twin River Casino.
The Supreme Court overturned the PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) last year. This gave individual states the right to choose how they wanted to go ahead with sports betting. That includes whether you can bet on sports online in RI.
Sportsbooks connected to existing land-based casinos became the most popular place for sports betting in a number of states. Finally, RI governor Gina Raimondo passed Senate Bill 37, which allows online and mobile wagering.
How to bet Online in RI
With Rhode Island sports fans looking forward to being able to place wagers on sports from the comforts of their homes – through mobile apps or their own computers – the sign-off on RI online sports betting could not come quickly enough. Now, the wait is over as the Sportsbook Rhode Island is live and accepting registrations from users over 18.
Players will need to activate their account by heading to the Twin River Casino in person with a valid ID. After that, they will be able to place their bets from any location within the state borders. To register, they will need to head to the sportsbook’s site through their desktop and mobile browser, and then either proceed to download the app or register directly. Note that the site is not compatible with the Internet Explorer browser.
Once the account is verified, users are ready to start placing their bets through the app or the browser. The sports you can bet on are the same as those offered at the land-based Twin River Sportsbook, which can read more about below.
The Ocean States thus joins the millions of others in other states who are already engaging in sports betting.
Sports Betting Sites in RI
As with other states, existing land-based casinos were given the license to accept wagers in their casinos in Rhode Island. The Twin River Casino Hotel in Lincoln and the Tiverton Casino Hotel are the two locations that have their own sportsbooks.
You do not have to be a resident of Rhode Island to place wagers at these two sportsbooks. That is only the case for customers who will bet on sports online in RI. As long as you are 18 years of age or over you can make your selections at either location.
These two sportsbooks do at least offer the opportunity to bet – unlike the majority of states in the US.
Sports Betting Markets
If you want another short answer – just about anything! The Rhode island sportsbooks at these two casino hotels will obviously cater for their customers so football, basketball and baseball will be extremely popular with the New England crowd – but there is a whole world of sports out there.
This is also why sports fans are looking forward to online betting in RI. Not only will it be much easier to place a bet without having to travel to a Rhode Island sportsbook at a casino, but there will also probably be a much larger range of betting markets.
If you look at online sports betting in other countries the global aspect of the markets is immediately noticeable. Sports fans in the UK can bet on the popular sports there, such as soccer and cricket, but there are also plenty of markets covering NFL, NBA and MLB – and many other leagues and sports.
What Sports Events Can I Bet On?
With RI online sports betting there will be thousands of tournaments and competitions to choose from when it comes to making your selections. But there will be a few major sports events that Ocean State residents – and visitors – will be especially interested in.
Super Bowl
The New England Patriots have been one of the most successful football teams in recent history. That means a lot of people in Rhode Island will be pretty happy right now! RI online sports betting got going just in the time for the NFL. It is fairly safe to say that the online sportsbooks will do a brisk trade on NFL games involving the Pats.
But even if the Patriots don’t make it to the big game next year sports fans should still be able to bet online in RI throughout the football season. Then, through the postseasons’ playoffs and the Super Bowl itself.
Once Rhode Island sportsbooks launch online you will see that events such as the Super Bowl attract huge surges in the popularity of these sites. Customer account holders can usually expect special promotions and exclusive bonuses related to the championship game.
NBA and March Madness
A lot of Rhode Island residents will be big Celtics fans – and there is a lot to be happy at if you do follow NBA. With such a long season there will be plenty of opportunities to bet on sports online in RI and hopefully follow Boston through to the playoffs.
But, once again, it doesn’t matter if you follow the Celtics or not. Online betting does not mean just placing wagers on the teams you like. It is all about studying the markets and the odds – and placing your wagers accordingly.
One good example of doing your research before betting has just finished – March Madness. The annual finish to the college hoops season is a great time to work out your brackets and make your predictions on who will make the Final Four – and then who will win the championship. RI online sports betting would allow you to do all that and then have the chance to win some money at the end of it!
Baseball
It has been said that there are a few Yankees fans in Rhode Island – but the Red Sox are definitely the main team in the Ocean State. Baseball is another sport that has a lot of games in a season and that gives bettors even more opportunity to make their wagers throughout the game playing months.
The season all runs towards the World Series. If the Red Sox make the finals then Rhode island would be very interested in how those particular games would go. Once RI online sports betting is properly launched the sportsbooks would be in for a busy time too.
Other Sports
There are plenty of other sports that get a lot of attention in New England, including soccer and hockey. Once you are able to bet on sports online in RI you will see that it is not necessarily the local teams and sports that you will want to place wagers on.
There is a whole world of sport out there. You will probably be able to find a betting market covering most events all at once.
How to choose a RI sportsbook
RI online sports betting means a lot more choice when it comes to placing a wager. As we have seen, at the moment sports fans have the choice between one site/app or two land-based casino sportsbooks.
There is sure to be a lot of interest from established online bookmakers. Newcomers are also looking to get going in the industry. Customers will need to know who to choose when it comes to signing up for an online account.
Some of the new ventures may well offer very attractive welcome bonuses. But it will be a good idea to take a look at the site as a whole before making a final decision.
Established bookmakers – such as 888sport and William Hill – have been involved in online betting sites in other states in the last year or so. Customers will see that the new online site is trustworthy if these kinds of betting brands are willing to get involved with them.
Take a good look at the range and amount of betting markets. This is also a good indicator of whether a new online sports betting site is worth a go. There is no point picking a site that concentrates on one sport or doesn’t have a whole host of betting opportunities on offer. More markets mean more chances to win.
Although we did say that you should not be swayed by welcome offers, it is worth taking a look at the range of promotions open to customer account holders before you register for an online sports betting site.
A good sign is if the promotions are long-running and don’t come with too many strings attached. As an account holder, you should know that any offer is really designed to keep you using the site. But a little bit of customer appreciation goes a long way.
RI Sportsbook Apps
Mobile betting has become hugely popular wherever it is permitted. The even greater freedom this kind of gambling gives you means that you should never miss a betting opportunity again.
A lot of time online betting sites have their own downloadable app. That offers a full range of device types – as this optimized version works best with a smaller screen. There could even be mobile-exclusive offers and promotions to take advantage of.
Make sure that you check that your chosen site offers mobile betting when RI online sports betting launches.
Summary
It is exciting to finally be able to bet on sports online in RI. All the legal guidelines are in place. Now, it is really is just a case of seeing how the process of allowing the public to bet on sports in the Ocean State goes.
For anyone who currently uses the casino-based sportsbooks at Twin Rivers and Tiverton, the online versions will suddenly seem so much better. Definitely more accessible. For anyone who else who has missed out so far, an online Rhode Island sportsbook presents an opportunity to enjoy betting from the comfort of your own home.
Online sports betting is definitely the future of gambling in the US. Now that Rhode Island got in on the action there will be a lot more happy people logging in to brand new customer accounts.
