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Rhode Island online sports betting will soon have a second app after years with only one digital sportsbook. The Rhode Island Lottery gave Bally’s Corporation a tentative five-year license, with launch timing tied to the end of IGT exclusivity on 26 November 2026.
Good to Know
Bally’s already sits inside Rhode Island sports betting through the retail sportsbooks at Lincoln and Tiverton. Soon, it should also compete online against Sportsbook RI, the IGT-powered app that has handled mobile betting in the state since September 2019.
The Rhode Island Lottery picked Bally’s after a small bidding round. Only Bally’s and Rush Street Interactive responded to the request for qualifications, which closed on 19 February. DraftKings and FanDuel stayed out, even after taking part in earlier market interest talks.
Patti Doyle, company spokesperson for Bally’s, said: “Bally’s is thrilled to have been awarded a second sports betting license by the State of Rhode Island. We appreciate the confidence and trust the state has placed in our ability to provide a best-in-class product — built for scalability, innovation, and the evolving demands of modern bettors — which will generate additional revenue to benefit the Rhode Island taxpayers.”
Contract details still need final work. Rhode Island Lottery spokesperson Paul Grimaldi said no launch can happen before 26 November 2026, when IGT exclusivity ends. Even so, IGT will not leave the market. The Lottery extended the IGT contract in January, keeping PlaySports technology tied to retail and online betting through 2028.
Rhode Island has long used a tighter sports betting model than nearby states. Massachusetts and Connecticut both offer wider operator choice, while Rhode Island kept one online sportsbook after mobile wagering began in 2019. Spectrum Gaming Group had advised the state to consider four to six online sports betting vendors to help the market compete with surrounding states.
The weak bid response now feeds a larger policy fight. Spectrum had already warned that Rhode Island could draw “limited interest” because of the tax model and small market conditions. Under current law, the state takes 51% of online sports betting revenue, the online operator receives 32%, and Bally’s retail sportsbook at Lincoln gets 17%.
Lawmakers have looked at a different split. House and Senate bills would raise the operator share to about 79% while reducing the state share after annual revenue reaches $18.6 million, based on fiscal year 2025 figures. FanDuel supports the plan and argues that better terms would bring more competition to Rhode Island sports betting.
Cory Fox, Senior Vice President of Public Policy at FanDuel, said: “These bills would give Rhode Islanders access to the best sports betting platforms in America.”
Neither bill appears close to passage. The House version went before the Committee on Finance on 29 April, and the Senate version reached the Committee on Labor and Gaming on 20 May. Both were held for further study. Sen. Frank Ciccone, a Providence Democrat who chairs the Joint Committee on Lottery, said he does not expect either proposal to advance in 2026 and described the debate as early, with “a lot up in the air.”
Bally’s cannot launch before 26 November 2026 because IGT online exclusivity runs until that date.
Rush Street Interactive also submitted a bid, but the Rhode Island Lottery selected Bally’s.
Yes. IGT will remain involved after Rhode Island extended its PlaySports deal through 2028.
The exact reasons were not formally stated, but market watchers pointed to the current Rhode Island revenue split and limited market size.
Current law gives Rhode Island 51% of online sports betting revenue.