Self-Betting Kiosks Being Installed in Rhode Island

Just before the start of March Madness, two Rhode Island sportsbooks, Twin River Tiverton and Twin River Lincoln, installed the very first self-betting kiosks in the state.

March Madness is actually the annual basketball tournament for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which is one of the most popular sports betting activities…

…together with the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Innovative Way of Gambling

Both Twin River in Tiverton and Twin River in Lincoln introduced self-betting kiosks in order to reduce lines during the peak of the sports gambling season.

Twin River Management Group is the owner and an official operator of both of these sportsbooks…

…and the Rhode Island Department of Revenue conducted all of the necessary testings before March Madness to make sure the kiosks are operating in accordance with the state gambling laws.

Talking About the Numbers

There is a plan to install 17 kiosks in Twin River Lincoln, while in Twin River Tiverton there will be only 5 of them. Both casinos officially launched sportsbooks on their ground in late 2018, after Rhode Island officially legalized sports betting in November last year.

Since RI is the very first state in the region of New England that started offering legal sports gambling…

…it is at a major advantage right now and will be more so after the launch of the self-betting kiosks.

Revenue Expectations

Since RI is already way ahead of its neighboring states in the New England region of the United States, it will be able to flourish thanks to the extreme popularity of sports gambling in this part of the country.

It is expected that it will earn as much as $11.5 million in tax revenue coming only from sports betting. But, some projections, nevertheless, indicate that the take won’t be as significant as some experts are anticipating.

Expansion of Sports Betting

It is quite probable that the state might expand its gambling operations far beyond the ones that can be found in other US states. Besides taking land-based sports wagering to another level by installing self-betting kiosks…

…state lawmakers are currently considering the legalization of a new bill that would allow both online and mobile sports wagering.

The bill went through successful voting in the House of Representatives and is about to be signed by RI governor, Gina Raimondo. When that happens, this bill will turn into law.

State governor said that she is excited about this bill and is counting on the tax revenue from sports betting to help the state’s fiscal budget.

“The new in-person sportsbook that opened in November has been very popular, with lines stretching out the doors. 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,” Democratic Senate President, Dominick Ruggerio, said in an official statement.

Source:

“Rhode Island sees the beginning of gambling kiosks”, Erik Gibbs, calvinayre.com, March 18, 2019.