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Bally’s launched its online casino in Rhode Island at noon today. The operator is the sole online casino gambling operator in the state.
The public launch of the online gaming product follows a four-day technical trial period during which select guests were invited to experience Bally’s RI new online gaming program starting March 1.
Craig Eaton, president of Bally’s Rhode Island operations, shared his enthusiasm in the press release:
“We are pleased to launch this new gaming product, which is borne out of our partnership with the General Assembly, Governor McKee and our regulators, the RI Department of Revenue, Division of Lottery, Department of Business Regulation and RI State Police to enhance state revenue and better position the State’s casinos in the competitive New England gaming market.”
What can Rhode Island players expect from Bally’s online casino?
According to the news release, Bally’s online casino will allow users to play online slots and table games on a desktop or an iOS stand-alone mobile app.
To create an online account, players should download the Bally’s Casino app or visit Ballycasino.com. Before setting up an account, customers must meet two requirements:
- They must be at least 21 years old
- Players must be physically located within the state
Bally’s has partnered with Stakelogic to provide its live dealer and table games software and studio technology.
Players can initially enjoy nearly 170 online slots, including many popular brick-and-mortar casino games. The blackjack and roulette table games will feature a live dealer with whom online guests may interact, as well as with other players using a chat tool.
Furthermore, Rhode Island online casino players can utilize the following Bally’s Responsible Gaming tools to control their time and financial activity on the site:
- Deposit Limits – allows players to set deposit limits on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis
- Session Limits – enables players to limit the length of wagering sessions. Once a limit is reached, the player is logged out.
- Spend/Wager Limits – lets players set daily, weekly, and monthly spending limits
- Cool Off/Time Out – a standard configuration that allows players to set a cool-off period of 72 hours and up to 4 weeks
- Self-Exclusion – allows players to voluntarily agree with a casino not to gamble for a chosen time
These functionalities are not available to players in the brick-and-mortar casino environment.
Bally’s (NYSE: BALY) operates two land-based casinos in Rhode Island – Bally’s Twin River Lincoln and Bally’s Tiverton.
Rhode Island becomes the seventh US state to launch online casino
With the Rhode Island online casino market live, it joins six other legal US online casino states:
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- Michigan
- Delaware
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
Nevada also has legal online casino gaming, but it is strictly online poker. Although Rhode Island might be the only state to launch online casinos this year, others are working toward that goal. Follow our online casino bill tracker for updates in other states.
‘A critical revenue stream for the state’
Rhode Island lawmakers who supported the online casino expansion celebrate Bally’s rollout. Commenting on the launch, Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said via Bally’s press release:
“I was proud to sponsor the legislation authorizing iGaming in Rhode Island, and I am excited for its implementation. iGaming will ensure that Rhode Island remains at the forefront of the competitive gaming industry, reinforcing a critical revenue stream for the state while providing an alternative form of entertainment.
It builds upon other steps we have taken to better position Rhode Island in the gaming and hospitality industries, including a new partnership with CCRI to train Rhode Islanders for good-paying, secure job opportunities in gaming and related areas of the hospitality industry.”
Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives K. Joseph Shekarchi, added: “This is a wonderful example of how the Legislature and the private sector can work together to develop initiatives that enhance state revenues, which in turn, benefit our taxpayers.”
With the expansion of online casino legal betting, the state expects to collect $25 million annually, which will be its third-largest revenue source. Last summer, Ruggerio estimated RI would gain over $220 million in new tax revenue over the first five years. As the state’s sole iGaming operator, Bally’s could make more than $40 million per year within that time.
As Eaton commented: “As with all gaming operations, the State will retain complete regulatory control of iGaming, with nearly 62 percent of the slot revenue and 15 percent of the table game revenue directed to the State.”
When fully operational, Bally’s expects the iGaming program to create between 50 and 75 jobs.
