Rhode Island governor gives mobile sports betting bill the green light

Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has signed a bill that will give the green light to mobile sports betting in the Ocean State.
In what would be a hugely positive development for the spread of online gambling and affiliate marketing in the US, the New England state currently only permits betting at two retail properties, Lincoln’s Twin River Casino and the Tiverton Casino Hotel.
The bill allows for the creation of an app to access the sports betting offerings through Twin River. Anyone placing a bet will have to be physically present in Rhode Island at the time of their wager.
The state lottery estimates the app will be ready by November at the latest. Rhode Island will get 51% of the revenue from in-person and mobile sports betting.
“Expanding to mobile gaming would provide a convenient option for those wishing to enjoy this form of entertainment, and open up the economic benefits beyond the walls of Twin River,” Dominick Ruggerio, a North Providence Democrat, said in the statement. “I can envision a group of friends from out of state spending an evening out in a local establishment where they can both watch the game and place a wager.”
Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello added: “This revenue, along with the revenue we anticipate from an expansion to mobile gaming, is a tremendous benefit to the state.
“It’s an added benefit that we can capture revenue that would have otherwise gone to an illegal market. When you consider that up to 97% of sports wagering is done illegally, it makes good sense for the state to increase its revenue by providing an entertainment that can be done safely and legally.”