After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, state lawmakers approved legislation to allow Rhode Island next spring to become the seventh state to allow residents and visitors to gamble on casino games by phone and computer.
A late change in the legislation requiring table games to be run by a live dealer has had Bally’s Corp., which operates Rhode Island’s two casinos, and state officials scrambling to work out a timetable and regulatory framework.
Bally’s on July 13 announced it is partnering with a Netherlands-based live casino supplier for online slots and live casino games.
But poker players fear live dealers would slow the pace of online play and have questioned whether Bally’s will make the needed investment to stream live dealer poker.
State revenue projections have ranged from $162 million to $210 million over five years. Variables include when it actually gets underway, simulcast investment costs and demand.
