Betting on sports was illegal in Rhode Island for a long time, but a bill was finally passed in 2018 that changed this law. Despite this, it still took 5 months for the first bet to be placed in the state.
Sports betting in Rhode Island is controlled by the state lottery and is powered by William Hill, a popular global sports bookmaker from the UK. You must be within state lines and over the age of 18 to bet in Rhode Island.
How Can I Get Involved?
For the first year of the new legislature, punters were only able to place bets in-person at one of two Twin River casinos located in the state.
However, the state quickly realized the huge profit potential from sports betting and, by March 2019, a new law was in place that allowed for online sports betting, but to be eligible, people still needed to register in-person at a Twin River casino.
This all began to change when the pandemic hit the scene and the casinos had to close. From 2020, users can register remotely from their mobiles.
Which Sites Can I Bet On In Rhode Island?
There are now many sports betting sites available for punters from Rhode Island, including TVG, SportsBook Rhode Island, and William Hill RI, along with many mobile apps such as FanDuel, Twinspires, BetAmerica, Twin Rivers Sportsbook App, and Tiverton Sportsbook App.
All of these sites and apps have their positives and negatives, so there are several aspects to think about when choosing which platform to sign up for.
What To Look For When Choosing A Sportsbook Platform
One thing to start with is to look at the sports available to bet on. Do you watch international soccer leagues? Not all platforms cover all the sports you might want or have limited matches available to bet on, so it’s a good idea to check before registering an account.
It’s also smart to check if the site offers live streaming. In-play betting on fast-paced games such as basketball is much easier if you can watch a live stream.
Most of these platforms offer things such as deposit match bonuses or risk-free bets, so make sure to find an offer that suits you best.
Deposit Bonuses
Deposit match bonuses tend to come with loads of wagering requirements; these are the number of times you must bet your bonus money before a withdrawal is allowed. Sometimes these numbers can be pretty high. If a bonus comes with a wagering requirement of 40x, and you receive $100 from this bonus, you will need to wager $4000 before you can withdraw your money-a massive amount of money and lots of chances for you to lose.
So, if you’re choosing a platform that offers these bonuses, remember to check the bonus terms and conditions first.
Risk-Free Bets
Risk-free bets also require a deposit first, but they tend not to encourage new users to deposit loads in their first go. Essentially, with a risk-free bet, you place a bet on a match and, even if it loses, the site will give you your money back to bet again.
You cannot immediately withdraw this money and it must be bet on another game, which you can consider wagering requirements. However, withdrawing real money this way tends to be a lot easier.
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