Introduced by Democratic Senators Frank Ciccone, John Burke, and Stefano Famiglietti, Senate Bill 3118 (SB3118) seeks to expand Rhode Island’s online and retail sports betting market to allow up to six operators.
New Bill Aikms to Change Rhode Island’s Monopoly on Online Gambling
The bill aims to broaden the state’s sports betting market significantly. Currently, only one licensed online platform, Sportsbook Rhode Island, is operating under an exclusive agreement between the Rhode Island Lottery and International Game Technology.
Among the bill’s key provisions is an expansion of the market to allow between four and six licensed operators across both online and retail sports betting\, This would effectively end IGT’s existing exclusivity arrangement. Furthermore, the legislation does not outline a fixed licensing fee structure. Instead, sportsbook operators would be selected through a competitive bidding and contracting process managed by the Rhode Island Lottery.
Senate Bill 3118 could be viewed as the next step in the state’s long path to ending its online sports betting monopoly. For example, in October, eight major operators expressed interest in joining Rhode Island’s market, should the state change its laws…