Rhode Island Online Casinos – An Inside Look At The Ocean State’s Casino Gambling Industry

The aptly named "Little Rhodie" is the smallest US state by far, but with two Rhode Island casinos to choose from, a legit gambling venue is never too far away. Still, it would be nice if the domestic casinos in Rhode Island actually offered their games online. But despite the lack of legislative interest in legalizing Rhode Island online casinos, you don’t actually need that to happen before you can play online casino games for real money in the state!

That’s because it’s completely legal and safe to join an offshore online Rhode Island casino right now. These sites offer everything you expect and plenty you don’t, and joining is fast and free. You know, it figures that the only place to play online casino games for real money in the Ocean State would be offshore...

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★ Top Rated Online Casino For Rhode Island Players In 2024

Bovada Is Our Top Rated Casino

Bovada LV has been offering legal online Rhode Island gambling services to state residents since 2011, and the site is widely considered to be not just the best online casino in RI, but the best casino in RI period.

With over 250 electronic online Rhode Island slots, blackjack games, roulette games, and more – along with dozens of live-dealer casino games open 24 hours a day – Bovada has everything a gambler could ask for.

And in addition to the Bovada Casino and Bovada Live Casino, RI residents will find a full Rhode Island online sports betting menu, a Rhode Island online poker room, and even an international racebook for fans of the ponies.

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Is Online Casino Gambling Legal In Rhode Island As Of 2024?

Yes, but only in the offshore/international capacity. Online gambling has been legalized at the local level for sports betting in Rhode Island and horse racing betting in RI, but all other markets – including real-money online casino gambling – are off limits.

That said, Rhode Island gambling laws apply only to domestic gaming operators and not individual gamblers. Similarly, US gambling laws exclusively target domestic operators and not players themselves. As such, as long as you use a reputable online casino in RI, you can gamble over the Internet safely and legally.

Legal Rhode Island Betting Age

Interestingly, RI is one of the only states where you don’t get any benefit in terms of gambling age by playing online at offshore sites. The legal minimum Rhode Island gambling age is 18+ for all forms of domestic gaming. Eighteen and up is also the age limit required by most legit online casinos accepting members from the state.

Are There Legal RI Online Casinos That Are Safe To Play At?

Rhode Island local casinosWhen looking to join a legit online casino, Rhode Island residents shouldn’t be so eager that they go all in on the first result of their first “legal online casinos in Rhode Island” Internet search. While that first hit might be a genuinely reputable site, you’d be taking a needless gamble by joining blindly.

So, save your gambling for the games themselves and make sure you join only an established, reputable online RI casino that’s been in operation for years and has a dedicated online community of satisfied players.

All the sites we recommend here fit the bill, with each of them abiding by all online gambling industry best practices, including the following:

Rhode Island Mobile Casinos

mobile casino iconOne of the biggest negatives of Rhode Island casinos isn’t that there are only two of them, it’s that they’re not online. No matter how close you are to one of the state’s brick-and-mortar gambling venues, mobile online casinos are always closer. (Heck, you’re probably reading this on one right now. Follow any link on this page, and you can be playing real online casino games for real money in just a few minutes!)

And that’s the real beauty of online mobile gambling: the convenience factor. Sure, we like to play these animated electronic casino games on the big screen at home, but being able to play legit mobile casino games when we’re not home really gives the hobby another dimension.

If you’ve experienced domestic Rhode Island mobile sports betting, you’ll know what we mean. Of course, if you’ve tried out the Rhode Island Lottery sports betting app, you also know this thing is “geofenced.” All domestic online gambling products are GPS-restricted this way, only letting you play when you’re inside the state in question. And given RI’s size and location, chances are you spend a good deal of time outside the state.

With legal offshore mobile betting, though, it doesn’t matter where you are, because you can play from anywhere. There’s also nothing to download or update, as everything is 100% web based. As long as you have an iPhone, iPad, or Android device and an up-to-date mobile web browser, you can bet on the go in RI and beyond.

Online Casino Games in Rhode Island

casino games iconYou might be under the impression that regulated, state-based Rhode Island casinos have more to offer than online casinos in the games department. But you’d be wrong. While the Twin River casino or Lincoln casino venues have dozens of different slot games with multiple kiosks for each, the sites we recommend have over 100 unique slots games – and there’s never any waiting to play. And the same goes for table games.

As far as legitimacy is concerned, these titles are all made by the most respected names in the online casino software space. You can find games from brands like Realtime Gaming (RTG), Betsoft, Dragon Gaming, Nucleus Gaming, Rival Powered, and more. All these brands’ titles are regularly audited for fair iGaming compliance and real-world win rates and payouts, and the best RI casinos are constantly updating their rosters with new casino games.

If you want to win big money in Little Rhody, these are the online casinos games where all the magic happens:

  • Online Slots (3-Reel, 5-Reel, 6-Reel)
  • Online Specialty Slots (3D, iSlots/Interactive Slots)
  • Online Progressive Jackpot Slots
  • Online Blackjack Games (Single-Deck, Multi-Deck)
  • Online Roulette Games (American and European)
  • Online Baccarat/Super 6 Games
  • Online Video Poker Games
  • Online Keno + Online Craps
  • Online Bingo (30-ball, 50-ball, etc.)
  • Online Lotteries + Raffles + Scratch-Offs
  • Online Live Casino Games

Rhode Island Online Casino Tip: Most of the online casinos in RI we recommend allow members to play free online casino games via “demo mode” or “practice mode” options. Whenever possible, we recommend that first-time RI gamblers play online casino games for free before risking real money.

Rhode Island Online Live-Dealer Casino Games

live dealer iconFor the longest time, in-person gambling venues had one big edge over online gambling, despite the online market’s superior convenience and game selection: live-dealer play. After all, there’s nothing quite like betting in front of a real dealer at a real casino table.

However, with modern advancements, online live-dealer table games are now the norm at all reputable RI Internet casinos. With live streaming video and audio, you can watch your dealer’s or croupier’s every move, and live real-time chat functionality lets you talk to the house and other players at your table.

You can even enter spectator mode and watch the games without actually playing or paying!

  • Live Dealer Blackjack
  • Live Dealer Roulette
  • Live Dealer Baccarat
  • Live Dealer Super 6

Note: Online live-dealer casino games are paid amusements only. Additionally, most legit online casinos don’t allow live-dealer games to contribute playthrough credits to active online casino bonuses.

Brick-And-Mortar Casinos In Rhode Island

In the Ocean State, it’s fitting that everyone lives just half an hour or so from the sea. Well, because there are only two casinos in Rhode Island, not everyone is quite as close as that to their nearest brick-and-mortar gambling venue.

That said, the Rhode Island Twin River Casino in Lincoln and the Rhode Island Tiverton Casino in Tiverton are just 30 minutes apart via I-195, and if you live in the eastern part of the state, you’re probably close enough to either venue to make a night of it.

However, if you live in western RI, then you might want to leg it to the Foxwoods Resort Casino (Rhode Island gambling revenues notwithstanding). Ditto for the Mohegan Sun, which – like the Foxwoods – is also just over the border in Connecticut.

Still, we always advise checking out your local gaming venues whenever you can.

There is not a single Indian casino in Rhode Island, either Class II or Class III. Further, there are no Rhode Island Indian bingo halls or similar venues. However, the Narragansett Indian Tribe is federally recognized and entered into a gambling compact with RI in 1994.

However, all attempts by the Narragansett people to build a Rhode Island Indian casino have failed to date, and the US Supreme Court has ruled that RI actually has sovereign jurisdiction over Narragansett land. Rightfully, further legal challenges are ongoing.

Gambling Resources For Rhode Island Residents

While our synopses of Rhode Island casino laws and general RI gambling laws are comprehensive enough to give you the lay of the land, more information is available for those who’d like to dive deeper in the Ocean State.

The best place to start is with the official State of Rhode Island General Laws, though we’ve also included a few other relevant resources.

  • RI General Laws 11-19 – “Gambling and Lotteries”
  • RI General Laws Title 41 – “Sports, Racing, and Athletics”
    • Ch. 41-3 – “Horse Racing”
    • Ch. 41-4 – “Mutuel Betting and License Fees”
    • Ch. 41-9 – “Establishment and Extension of Gambling Activities and Other Facilities”
    • Ch. 41-10 – “Offtrack Betting”
    • Ch. 41-11 – “Simulcast Programs from Licensed Betting Facilities”
  • RI SB 37 (2019) – RI senate bill authorizing Rhode Island online sports betting/mobile sports betting. Senate version of HB 5421 (2019). Signed.
  • Rhode Island Indian Casino Compact – Federal Register index (select “Rhode Island” from the dropdown menu to view the state’s 1994 tribal gaming compact with the Narragansett Indian Tribe)

Note: In 2018, the state legalized brick-and-mortar sports betting gambling expansion via a 2019 budget allowance for the pastime. Mobile sports betting was added in 2019 through specific legislation, though domestic Rhode Island mobile casino gambling is still off-limits.

Gambling is for entertainment only. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, help is available at no charge from the Rhode Island chapter of the National Council on Problem Gambling.