The New England Patriots are the center of controversy once again. Daniel Harrop bet on a Patriots game last year, and lost. That experience gave him legal cred to sue Rhode Island over its sports betting bill, because voters did not approve legalized sports betting.
Without the Pats bet, Superior Court judge Brian Stern would have stuck to his September ruling that favored the state, because Harrop hadn’t personally harmed by legalized sports betting and so lacked standing to sue. What’s more, the state contends voters approved sports betting when they approved table games years ago, the Associated Press said.
For the town of Tiverton, Stern’s latest ruling is a thorn in its side. The town is home to one of the state’s two Twin River casinos that offer sports betting. The town of Lincoln, which is home to the other casino, is not involved with the case.
The towns each receive $100,000 annually from sports betting, plus revenue generated from the other casino operations. Tiverton didn’t take a position on the constitutional issue over the requirement for a voter referendum.
