Rhode Island Online Casinos 2023 – A Guide to Gambling in Rhode Island

Gambling in New England’s eastern state of Rhode Island is not half bad when it comes to USA online gambling laws. There are brick-and-mortar casinos, sportsbook online, pari-mutuel wagering and a state lottery. Even so, gambling at Rhode Island casinos continues to be one of the last frontiers. At the time of writing, no such opportunities exist in the Ocean State.

Our Rhode Island Online Casino Reviews

Best Rhode Island Online Casinos

The Legality Of Land-Based Casinos & Online Casinos In Rhode Island

Gambling in New England is a hodgepodge of laws and Rhode Island itself has a mix of gambling laws. The laws permit certain types of gambling and prohibit others. Citizens of, and visitors to, the Ocean State will be happy to know that there are two full-service, land-based casinos in the state. These are the Twin River Casino Hotel in Lincoln and Tiverton Casino Hotel in Tiverton. Between them, these casinos offer almost 200,000 square feet of gambling space complete with over 5,000 slot machines and dozens of table games. The Rhode Island gambling age for casinos is 21 and over. Rhode Island is also big on sports betting and was the first state to offer this service to its citizens. This didn’t happen that long ago, though. In fact, it was the US Supreme Court that declared that the ban on the practice was unconstitutional in May 2018. It was a move which made sports betting available in June of the same year. Today, Road Islanders can play sports betting online. Also, at the Twin River Casino Hotel in Lincoln or at the dedicated kiosk at the Twin River Tiverton Casino and Hotel in Tiverton. Interestingly, because gaming company IGT provided all the technical expertise required to make sportsbook in Rhode Island possible, casinos today actually make a very small profit from this practice: 51 percent of the said profits go to the state, 32 percent go to IGT, and the casinos retain the remaining 17 percent.

That’s not all, though. This state has a state lottery, which was legalized in 1973, and now is affiliated with lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions. It also allows pari-mutuel betting on horse racing. Though there are no racetracks in the state as both the Narragansett Park and the Lincoln Downs race tracks closed down in the 1970s. A number of referenda over the decades have also brought bingo and pull-tab lottery games to Rhode Island. Additionally, there are some opportunities for limited off-track betting at Newport Jai Alai and Lincoln Greyhound Park, too. Meanwhile, charitable gambling and house-based gambling, in the shape of bingo at senior retirement facilities, are legal. All this may not seem like much when compared to the options available at some of the more liberal states. But it’s actually quite avant-garde for a New England state. It’s easy to forget, in fact, that Puritan laws on gambling in New England were relatively harsh and in place for centuries, with the ban beginning on 22 March 1631, when it was ordered that anyone with cards, dice or tables in their house should dispose of them before the next court was to take place – or else face punishment.

In today’s world, this may seem somewhat trivial since some people ignore gambling laws, particularly those related on gambling online, but things were very different then. In fact, just seven months after this ban, the Puritans in Massachusetts made adultery punishable by death. It also banned living with native Americans, smoking in public and fancy clothing. Meanwhile, missing Sunday service would mean you’d be sent to the stocks, and celebrating Christmas would see you fork out five shillings. Puritan laws on gambling in New England, therefore, were a very real force that shaped gambling in New England states. But, given today’s gambling laws in Rhode Island, you’d be forgiven to think that the Puritan hold on this New England state is completely gone, but it’s not that simple. Gambling at online casino is still completely banned and the state still doesn’t regulate or license online casinos. This means that Rhode Islanders and those visiting the state cannot play their favorite games for real money. These are including online roulette, poker, slots, baccarat, blackjack, online craps, pai gow, and the lot online for real money. Social casino gambling, however, is totally acceptable and providers like Big Fish, Double Down, Zynga and Virtual Gaming Worlds among others operate from within the state. Meanwhile, the MyVegas games from MGM Resorts can also be played, and through this Rhode Islanders can gain loyalty points that can be used at MGM properties.

Land-Based Gambling In Rhode Island Today

Casino	County	Unique Features	Casino Games
Twin River Casino Hotel	Lincoln	Former greyhound track. Virtual table games.	4,200 Slots 125 Tables Games
Tiverton Casino Hotel	Tiverton	Hybrid Stadium Seating: gives you the possibility to play numerous games on a single machine.	1000 Slots 30 Table Games

Online Gambling Laws In Rhode Island

The Ocean State may not have very strict laws when it comes to land-based gambling, but things are different in relation to online gambling. Indeed, at the time of writing, Rhode Islanders and visitors cannot play any of their favorite casino games for real money at Rhode Island online casino. Of course, many lawmakers have tried to change this part of Rhode Island’s stand on gambling. One of the latest Bills being presented by Representative Charlene Lima in 2018 to allow scratch-off cards to be sold online. Having said that, it is widely believed that if online gambling – including at Rhode Island online casino – had to become a matter of a voter referendum, then it would most likely pass.

Sportsbook Online in Rhode Island

While online casino games are not allowed, sportsbook online is completely legal in the state. This means that Rhode Islanders can make bets on sporting events online without worrying about the law (given they are at least 18 years of age). Below we mention sports betting options offering this form of gambling in New England.

Sportsbook in Rhode Island

Casino	Casino Games
Rhode Island Sports Betting	Powered by William Hill, this site gives you the possibility to bet on tennis, boxing, hockey, baseball, football, and American football, among others. The site, which is affiliated with the Twin River Casino, also has a mobile spo

Gambling Laws Governing Offshore Casinos & What It Means For Rhode Island Players

Because laws on gambling in New England – in this case, in Rhode Island, specifically – ban playing online casino games in the state, a number of players choose to ‘bypass’ the law by playing at offshore casinos. For those who are not familiar with the term, offshore casinos are online casino websites registered in other jurisdictions. In this case, they could be in another US state or even in places outside of the United States of America that have friendlier gambling laws or more favorable taxes, including at UK casinos, Malta, Gibraltar, or Curaçao, to mention but a few. There are a number of reasons why we strongly do not recommend this practice. For a start, playing at offshore registered casinos while in Rhode Island still constitutes playing casino games online, and is therefore still a violation of the current gambling laws. Secondly, should anything go wrong, your rights, your data and your money may not be safe with the state unable to help you. As such, we always recommend that players play at online casinos registered in their jurisdiction or else at land-based, brick-and-mortar commercial casinos.

Online Casino Games For Rhode Island

Sadly, Rhode Island online casinos are banned in the Ocean State, meaning that Rhode Islanders cannot play any of their favorite casino games online for real money. This includes – but isn’t limited to – roulette, online slots, poker, baccarat, craps and blackjack. Nevertheless, the state of Rhode Island does allow players to play online socially (i.e. for no money), and there are numerous websites where you can do so. There is also the MyVegas games from MGM Resorts; through these, Rhode Islanders can gain loyalty points that can be used at MGM properties. Of course, Rhode Islanders can also legally make sports bets through sportsbook online. There are currently two sites that offer this service, namely at Rhode Island Sports Betting, which is affiliated with the Twin River Casino Hotel.

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Payment Options At Rhode Island Online Casinos

When it comes to playing at Rhode Island online casinos, there are no payment methods that can be used as it is illegal to play casino games online in the Ocean State. This may not seem ideal or fair, but we certainly do not recommend playing at offshore registered casinos since these may not always work in the way you’d expect or like them to – not to mention that it is also against the law. Got some pressing questions regarding gambling in New England’s state of Rhode Island? Want to know more about Rhode Island online casinos? We’ve got you covered with our quick-fire question-and-answer section.

Online Casinos Rhode Island FAQs

Stay Safe and Follow the Law when Looking to Play at Rhode Island Online Casinos

We hope we have answered all your questions regarding gambling laws in New England, Rhode Island online casino, and Rhode Island sportsbook online. As always, we recommend that you follow the law of the jurisdiction you are in and to never wager more money than you can afford to lose. With that in mind, good luck!

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