Sports betting has been legal in Rhode Island since the day after Thanksgiving, and since then the state’s two casinos have been working feverishly to make room for permanent betting facilities.
At Twin River Casino in Lincoln they are building a 3,600 square foot sports lounge, bar and grill with an opening date of later this week.
According to Craig Sculos, vice president and general manager of the casino, the sports lounge will have 102 television monitors, sell beer and food and have windows to place bets, just in time to take wagers on the Super bowl.
Currently on the third floor a counter formerly used for horse and dog racing accepts bets on a variety of professional sports games. This is a no frills operation but sports bettors don’t need frills. They do need mounted odds boards and a seating area with small TVs. The temporary space still offers horse and dog racing wagering.
The second floor is the location of the Sportsbook Bar & Grill, which will be the permanent home of sports betting. It will have seats for 200, a bar, food and a betting window. It will cater to those who seek and more casual vibe with their sports book.
Both are able to accept straight bets, parlays and propositions. Bets can be made on both professional sports and college, although not on any college teams based within the state.
Twin River was once a racetrack and the lounge room was the view area for greyhound races held at what called Lincoln Greyhound Park. The area can take legitimate bets that once required an illegal bookie or equally illegal off-shore sports book.
Sculos anticipates that while the new activity will only slightly increase gaming profits, that it will be an amenity that will draw new players. He told the Hartford Courant, “There are folks that are attracted just to sports betting, and when they arrive, they might be interested in poker or a slot machine.” He added, “And then it also works the opposite way: people who are here saying, ‘I came here to play craps today, but I have interest in the World Series, so I’m going to put down a future wager.”
Casinos in Rhode Island are operated under the aegis of the state lottery. It contracted with IGT and the sports book company William Hill to bring sports betting to the two casinos. The state collects 51 percent, IGT and William Hill get 32 percent with Twin River getting 17 percent. The casino towns of Lincoln and Tiverton are paid $100,000 a year to host.
For the moment sports bets are limited to being made on the two properties, but the state is studying branching out to mobile platforms or allowing bets to be taken at venues other than casinos. That could include liquor stores or convenience stores, according to Paul Grimaldi, a spokesman for the state department of revenue. However, state officials believe this will require more regulation, or possibly a vote of the people.
