With sports betting in Rhode Island still in its relative infancy, moves are afoot to challenge its legal status thanks to a lawsuit prepared by the state’s former Republican Party Chair Brandon Bell.
The central plank of the suit is that the process undertaken by officials to legalize sports wagering last year was allegedly unconstitutional and should now be subject to a referendum, giving the final say on the matter to the Ocean State public.
It argues that sports betting is a different type of gambling than table games which were approved by voters in 2012 and 2016. Furthermore, it seeks to put the brakes on the state’s plans to introduce mobile sports betting which is expected to be introduced in Q4 this year.
The office of Governor Gina Raimondo has responded with a statement to the press saying: “Multiple legal opinions have affirmed that sports betting was already approved by the voters. The revenue from sports betting supports investments in education, health care, infrastructure and more, and we remain confident that it will be upheld in court.”
Under the auspices of Rhode Island’s sports betting laws, the state lottery is responsible for the regulation of the business. IGT works with the lottery and casinos to facilitate sports wagering.
