Bally’s beats Rush Street Interactive to win Rhode Island’s second online sports betting license
The Rhode Island Lottery has issued a license to Bally’s, making it the second licensed online sports betting operator in the state.
Bally’s was selected over Rush Street Interactive, the only other company to apply for a license before the February 2026 deadline.
Bally’s already operates two physical sportsbook locations in Rhode Island. It is expected to go live with its online sports betting product sometime in November, despite a contract not yet being finalized.
“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,” Bally’s spokeswoman, Patti Doyle, told NBC 10.
Currently, Sportsbook Rhode Island (operated by IGT) is the only legal Rhode Island sports betting site. Both of Rhode Island’s neighboring states have more, with Massachusetts having seven betting sites available and Connecticut three.
Some experts believe Rhode Island lags behind other states due to its high sports betting tax, which is charged at 51% tax of sports betting revenue. Rhode Island Lottery Deputy Director Michael O’Rourke admitted that this could have been a factor in why some sportsbook operators did not apply.
Rhode Island collected $13.6 million in online sports betting tax from July 2025 through March 2026. Lawmakers hope that a second sportsbook in the state’s regulated market will allow them to raise more tax revenue.
Shares in Bally’s Corp. (NYSE:BALY) closed 3.57 per cent lower at $11.87 per share in New York Thursday.