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Rhode Island Senate approves bill creating new online sports wagering licenses

Legal Writer

Publish Date: Jun 08, 2026

Fact checked by: Matt Moreno

Key Points

Rhode Island’s expansion of its online sports betting framework could feature room for up to four new operators.
Senate approved similar bill in 2025 but legislation bogged down in Rhode Island House of Representatives.
Rhode Island Lottery platform is currently the only legal online sports wagering option in the state.

The smallest state by land area in the United States could soon have a larger footprint in the online gambling industry. A bill to reform Rhode Island’s legal sports wagering system into a competitive landscape has cleared the state Senate.

It’s the second consecutive year in which such a proposal has received Rhode Island Senate approval, creating intrigue over whether the Rhode Island House of Representatives will give the measure more consideration in 2026. The bill also creates the possibility for Rhode Islanders to have up to six times more options for legal sports betting as soon as 2027.

large meeting hall of senate chamber in rhode island state house

Rhode Island Senate advances S3118

The Rhode Island Senate voted 30-6 on June 4 to approve S3118, which could give people of age in the state up to five more licensed online sports wagering options. The bill directs the Rhode Island Lottery to open up applications for at least two but up to four additional licenses for online sports betting.

Currently, the Rhode Island Lottery operates its platform, Sportsbook Rhode Island, which uses a system provided by International Gaming Technology (IGT). That has been the only legal option in the state since it launched in 2019.

The Rhode Island Lottery is in the process of expanding upon those options, giving Bally’s the opportunity to take its online sportsbook live in the state as well. Bally’s is also the lone provider of legal online casino games there and operator of Rhode Island’s two brick-and-mortar casinos.

S3118 would mean that Bally’s and Sportsbook Rhode Island could have competition. That is, of course, should the bill become law.

S3118 resembles stalled bill from 2025 legislative session

Rhode Island Senators pushed for an expansion of the state’s legal sports wagering system in 2025 as well. The bill they crafted and got through their chamber ultimately never progressed out of committee in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, though.

IGT lobbied against the proposal, and House leadership did not prioritize it. However, there is at least one reason to believe this time could be different.

Rep. Joe Shekarchi, who had been the Speaker of the House of Rhode Island since 2021, announced that he would give up the position to seek a seat on the state’s Supreme Court. The new leadership could be more amenable to the gaming expansion proposed in S3118.

If that proves to be the case and S3118 becomes law, the intrigue in this situation will shift to which sportsbook brands may be interested in a license.

Rush Street Interactive could be primary sports wagering license applicant in Rhode Island

Rush Street Interactive, which operates the BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse online gambling brands in other U.S. states, contended with Bally’s for the license that was recently awarded. That signals that Rush Street could be among those brands with interest in additional licensing opportunities.

DraftKings is another contender, as it has shown interest in smaller markets in the past. It’s the lone licensed provider of online sports wagering in New Hampshire, for example.

Other potential applicants would include bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, and FanDuel. All these companies will have to assess the opportunity in Rhode Island to determine whether the juice is worth the squeeze, meaning the potential revenue is worth the costs.

S3118 needs to pass before those calculations can become meaningful, though.

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