Rhode Island Breaks Sports Betting Monopoly: Bally’s Targets November Launch
Posted on: May 27, 2026, 08:46h.
Last updated on: May 27, 2026, 08:46h.
- Rhode Island’s sports betting market will expand late this year
- Bally Bet, the sportsbook of Bally’s, has been approved in RI
- Bally Bet will compete with the RI Lottery’s Rhode Island Sportsbook
Rhode Island sports bettors will soon have a choice in where they place their wagers.
Earlier this month, the Rhode Island Department of Revenue’s Lottery Division selected Bally’s Corporation as its second licensed mobile sportsbook. The sports wagering service provider license will compete with the Rhode Island Sportsbook, the online and retail sportsbook run by International Gaming Technology on behalf of the Rhode Island Lottery.
The Bally Bet Sportsbook bid was one of only two, with Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming proposing bringing its BetRivers Sportsbook to Rhode Island. As anticipated, the RI Lottery Division picked Bally’s, the state’s casino operator that runs slot-like video lottery terminals (VLT) at Bally’s Lincoln and Bally’s Tiverton.
Bally’s tentative bid award, which Lottery Division Deputy Director Michael O’Rourke says “may be revoked” if Bally’s fails to satisfy the state’s pre-launch requirements, will allow Bally Bet to operate sports betting both online and in-person at the two brick-and-mortar casinos. Bally’s previously secured a retail sportsbook license to operate sports betting on behalf of the Rhode Island Sportsbook at the casinos.
When Will Bally Bet Launch in RI?
Assuming the regulatory review of its sportsbook platform and operations go smoothly, Bally Bet could go live by December 2026. The state’s sports betting contract lent to Bally’s mandates that the sportsbook doesn’t begin taking bets before Nov. 26.
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,” said Bally’s spokesperson Patti Doyle.
Last year, gaming consultancy Spectrum Gaming conducted a review of Rhode Island’s sports betting industry. The study, commissioned by the RI Lottery, concluded that competition is needed to bring more bettors into the regulated market.
With the lottery being the only option, bettors expressed frustration with poor odds and few incentives compared with sportsbooks in neighboring states. That drove some bettors across state lines or to offshore websites to place their bets.
Spectrum advised the state to offer four to six additional online sportsbook licenses. The state is beginning with one.
Small Market, Big Potential?
In the 2025 fiscal year, the Rhode Island Sportsbook facilitated less than $400 million in online bets and kept about $33.5 million of the action. The two retail Bally’s Sportsbooks generated revenue of just $4.3 million for combined revenue of $37.8 million.
In Maine, a state similarly populated, though it has about 300K more residents, sports betting revenue in 2025 was more than $68.5 million. Maine is home to DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook.
Rhode Island, while small, is wealthy. The state’s median household income of almost $85,000 ranks 14th in the country. Maine is 29th at $74,000.
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