Signed by Governor Gina Raimondo

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes online registration for sports betting in Rhode Island.

Highlights:

• Specifies that the “division” refers to the division of lotteries within the department of revenue and or any successor in interest thereto (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that “hosting facility” refers to Twin River and the Tiverton gaming facility (Sec. 1).

• Defines “online gaming account” as an account opened by a patron that such patron will use for the deposit and withdrawal of funds used for online sports wagering (Sec. 1).

• Defines “online sports wagering” as engaging in the act of sports wagering by the placing of wagers on sporting events or a combination of sporting events, or on the individual performance statistics of athletes in a sporting event or a combination of sporting events, over the internet through computers, mobile applications on mobile devices or other interactive devices approved by the division, which wagers are accepted by a server-based gaming system located at the premises of a hosting facility authorized to accept sports wagers and administer payoffs of winning sports wagers (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes a hosting facility to accept online wagers from players who have been affirmatively located as being physically present in Rhode island at the time of the wager (Sec. 1).

• Requires the server-based gaming system and all hardware, software, and other technology or equipment located on a hosting facility’s premises and used to conduct online sports wagering to be located in a restricted area on the hosting facility’s premises (Sec. 1).

• Requires online sports wagering to only be engaged in by patrons who have established an online gaming account pursuant to the rules and regulations promulgated by the division (Sec. 1).

• Establishes that this act will take effect upon passage (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text