Rhode Island’s debate over adding more sportsbooks continues with more figures provided by industry leaders. The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) says residents using accounts registered in the state placed 4.23 million wagers in neighboring states during a 12-month period. The findings come as lawmakers face renewed pressure to reconsider a market that still offers just one licensed online sportsbook, with Bally Bet as the second to join.
The SBA, whose members include DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Fanatics, and bet365, believes more options could keep betting activity within Rhode Island. It has also warned that customers unhappy with local choices may turn to offshore sites, which put them at risk.
Figures released by the SBA on Nov. 12 show nearly 103,000 Rhode Island accounts placed bets in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York between July 2025 and July 2026, according to NBC 10.
Those wagers were placed while bettors were physically in those states, where mobile sports betting is legal. The data doesn’t establish how much taxable revenue Rhode Island would have collected if those customers had access to more sportsbooks at home, but it’s clearly a missed opportunity for the state.
SBA President Joe Maloney argues that an expanded regulated market could keep more activity within state lines and generate more taxable revenue. The SBA estimates expansion could yield another $50 million in state revenue over a decade, although that’s an industry projection rather than a government forecast.
There’s evidence of pressure on Rhode Island’s existing business, too. A state audit found sportsbook gross profit fell 3.2% to $18.6 million during the fiscal year ending June 2025, citing increased competition from neighboring states.
Crossing into Massachusetts to use a licensed sportsbook is different from wagering with an offshore operator. Rhode Island regulators cannot provide the same oversight of an unlicensed website, including its handling of financial transactions, account disputes, responsible gaming, and overall security.
FanDuel executive Cory Fox raised that concern in a June column, arguing that consumers who cannot find the betting products they want locally may seek illegal alternatives, which puts them at risk. This highlights the importance of adding more competition to the market.
Rhode Island has considered expansion before. A proposal to add multiple sportsbooks gained attention earlier this year, while the Senate approved SB 3118 by a 30-6 vote in June, although it ultimately failed to clear the House.
The issue remains the state’s financial arrangement. Rhode Island receives 51% of sports wagering revenue, with a separate 17% host-facility fee under its current model. That makes it difficult for other operators to enter the market.
Bally Bet is going to be the second sportsbook in Rhode Island, with a target launch date of December 2027. However, given the lost revenue to neighboring sportsbooks along with offshore risk, there continues to be an industry push to add more competition to Rhode Island sports betting.
