Rhode Island has joined four other states in legalizing online sports bets and will launch a mobile sports betting app later this year.
Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) signed companion bills (S.37 SubA/H.5241 SubA) into law March 25. The state legislature had overwhelmingly approved the measures, although some Republicans wondered if online sports betting constituted an expansion of sports wagering, which would require a voter referendum. Democrats argued that allowing online sports betting simply expanded how people could place bets.
“Sports betting has been very popular since it was first introduced last year, and the revenue it ...