Rhode Island Will Not Expand Online Sports Betting Market

• Little Rhody will not expand its online sports betting market in 2026
• A Senate approved bill to open the state’s market never received a House committee hearing
• Rhode Island’s legislative session ended on Saturday, June 21

Little Rhody’s online sports betting market will remain just that…little.

Senate approved bill SB 748, a a bill to expand the state’s online sports betting from one operator to potentially a maximum of five, never received a House committee hearing prior to the state concluding its 2025 legislative session this weekend.

 International Game Technology (IGT) will remain as the state’s lone provider, operating an online sports betting platform on behalf of the Rhode Island Lottery.

Bill Receives No House Attention

The Rhode Island Senate approved SB 748 earlier this month by a 30-3 vote.

During discussions, members of the Senate approved an amendment that set the total number of online sports betting operators at no more than five, but no less than three if approved. The amendment also disallowed the state to renew its sports betting contract with IGT after Jan. 31, 2026. The original bill set the renewal deadline at July 1, 2026.

If approved, new operators would have submitted license applications to the Rhode Island lottery division of gaming. The division would have then awarded new licenses through a competitive application process.

However, the bill struggled to gain traction in the House, as it never received a committee hearing. Rhode Island concluded its legislative session on Saturday, June 21, and the bill died.

IGT Remains Lone Operator

At the time of the bill’s Senate approval, sponsor Sen. Frank A. Ciccone (D-7) said it is clear that online sports betting markets are at their best when a lone company does not control the entire market.

“With legalized sports betting flourishing across the country, there is ample evidence on how this new industry works best for consumers and the state. And what we are seeing is that having only one company exclusively operate is not in the best interests of consumers or from a revenue generating standpoint. This bill will give our state’s sports bettors the options that they are clamoring for and in turn, will hopefully strengthen the revenue generated from sports betting in Rhode Island and not across the border in Massachusetts,” he said.

However, IGT will remain the sole operator in Rhode Island’s online sports betting market for the near future.

So far in the state’s FY 2025 (July 2204 through April 2025), the Rhode Island Lottery reported $27,763,805 in online sports betting revenue. At the state’s 51% tax rate, Rhode Island has brought in $14,159,540 in online sports betting tax revenues.