Rhode Island Sports Betting – Which Sportsbooks Should You Use in 2023?

While Rhode Island was one of the first states to roll out legal sports betting, the regulated online options remain very limited. You can bet on professional sports teams and certain college teams using the state-operated Sportsbook RI platform, but accessing sites like DraftKings Sportsbook and Caesars Sports is still not allowed in the state.

But if you want more betting options, including markets on all collegiate sports teams, then we have the solution for Rhode Island sports bettors. You just have to sign up for quality offshore sportsbooks to expand your gambling options beyond your wildest dreams.

In this guide, we will show Rhode Island users where to find the best offshore sportsbooks, what makes them the best, and how you can get started winning real money on sports betting today in the Ocean State.

Best Rhode Island Sportsbooks in 2023

Top Online Sportsbooks for Rhode Island Bettors

We know it can be an overwhelming task to sort through the available options for offshore sportsbooks. But that is why we review each one and find the best options that will accept Rhode Island players today. Here is our top 10 list:

1. Bookmaker: Best value on early lines
2. Heritage Sports: Strong mobile site for live betting 
3. Bovada: Excellent prop builder
4. BetOnline: Get opinionated lines on top markets
5. BetAnySports: Great for reduced juice
6. BetUS: Unique sign-up bonuses
7. WagerWeb: Best crypto bonuses
8. JustBet: Bookmaker’s sister site
9. Everygame: Wide variety of sports markets
10. SportsBetting.ag: Unique sports promos and contests

Is betting on sports legal in Rhode Island?

Yes, Rhode Island was one of the earliest states to pass legal sports betting after PASPA was overturned in 2018 by the Supreme Court. That one ruling has had a huge impact on gambling laws around the country. Not long after, Rhode Island sports betting became legal and retail sportsbooks started opening. By 2019, mobile sports wagering was also legalized and online action was ready with legal sports bets placed.

Online betting can also be done with offshore sportsbooks, though they are not regulated by Rhode Island’s gambling commission. The only regulated, legal online sportsbook in the state is the Sportsbook Rhode Island mobile site and app.

Reviews of Our Highest-Rated Online Sportsbooks

We gave you a list of our top 10 online sportsbooks, but Rhode Island bettors should read on for our reviews of why these sites rank the best for us. All these sites are located in Panama, Costa Rica or Antigua, where online sports betting is legal. Our experts went from sportsbook to sportsbook to discover the best online options for Rhode Island sports betting. 

1. Bookmaker: Best Value on Early Lines

Since 1996, Bookmaker.eu has earned its reputation for being the sportsbook where the line originates. It is our top-rated online sportsbook thanks to those early lines that provide great value for sharp bettors and those just looking to take advantage of an early line before the public makes it move in a different direction.

Bookmaker also has plenty of prop picks, including unique props like an option to bet a player will not score a touchdown in NFL island games. You can also count on high limits at Bookmaker, and winning players will not be limited at the sportsbook.

One area where Rhode Island’s winning players may be a little limited is the reward program, as the third and highest tier is only reserved for recreational accounts. But you can always contact the excellent customer service team at Bookmaker to see if you would qualify or not for that.

Bookmaker does not have poker tournaments, but it does have live dealer games and video slots, and its games have RTP info to give players a sense of which games are the best at paying your money back.

2. Heritage Sports: Strong Mobile Site for Live Betting

Heritage Sports was once an invite-only site, but it is now free to join for all Rhode Islanders. You will get some of the best reduced juice (-108) in the sportsbook. Heritage Sports does not offer huge welcome bonuses, but it has nice perks like a free birthday parlay (worth up to $500) and every eighth deposit is free as long as certain conditions are met. Live betting is also great on one of our favorite mobile sites. 

But the real value at Heritage Sports are the cashback programs, which are ongoing. You can get cash back on your sportsbook betting volume every quarter. If you make 500-plus bets, you can get 0.8% back in cash each quarter (maximum amount: $10,000).

Other nice perks about Heritage Sports are early betting lines, including MLB lines posted the night before and NFL lines posted Sunday night a week in advance. They also have even more reduced juice on Premiere League lines for soccer fans.

3. Bovada: Excellent Prop Builder

Bovada is great for poker fans, but sports fans in Rhode Island will also enjoy the prop builder. You can select from a wide variety of markets for popular leagues like NBA and NFL. They also offer competitive odds and plenty of niche sports markets. Bovada also has one of the best-designed racebooks.

Live betting is easy to do at Bovada, and they offer more than just sides and totals for live bets for select markets. While Bovada does not have a downloadable app, you can add their mobile site to your home screen and use it just like you would an app for easy access. 

Bovada offers casino games too, including live dealer games, table games, video slots, and plenty of blackjack variants. 

New users of the sportsbook can get a 75% first deposit bonus of up to $750 in bonus bets if they use crypto for their initial deposit. The bonus funds cannot be used on poker, but they can be used in the casino. Our only real complaint with Bovada is that there is a lack of ongoing promotions for returning users. But they do have a reward program where you can accumulate points for perks with the more you bet.

4. BetOnline: Get Opinionated Lines on Top Markets

BetOnline is a fan favorite as it has high limits, fast payouts, and a lot of banking methods to choose from. They also do everything well from a gambling perspective as the sportsbook, racebook and casino are all solid with a variety of betting markets available.

The sportsbook has opinionated lines on popular leagues and reduced juice on NHL markets. You also get plenty of promos for the sportsbook, including a chance to get your moneyline bet back if your team is shut out or if your NBA team blows a 15-point lead after halftime. 

BetOnline has poker tournaments too, which is a nice draw for someone looking for that extra advantage most of the other sportsbooks lack. Just download some poker software for free from the site and you will be ready to play within minutes.

5. BetAnySports: Great for Reduced Juice

BetAnySports can be confusing to use at first as they offer a variety of sports lines, but once you get the hang of things, it is a very fine sportsbook. It is definitely one of the best for competitive odds as you can get reduced juice as low as -105 for many markets.

You also get a very good prop builder that can rival Bovada for the best on our list. Building parlays is fun on the site, and you can also do live betting with the mobile site. 

The casino section also has seven different casinos to choose from, each with its own library of games, and there are live dealer games. BetAnySports is also the only place with a lottery section with bets possible on drawings from a variety of states. 

The bonuses are smaller at BetAnySports than some of the top rivals, but this is a good choice for Rhode Islanders looking to frequently bet on sports.

6. BetUS: Unique Sign-up Bonuses

BetUS has been around nearly 30 years and knows how to offer a unique sports betting experience. New users can get a huge bonus right away by making a crypto deposit. You can get a 150% sports bonus up to $3,750 in bonus bets and 50% casino bonus up to $1,250 in bonus bets. It should be noted these bonuses have a high rollover requirement (15x on sports, 30x on casino). The most bonus funds you can release and cash out is $5,000, and these funds will expire after 14 days if you do not use them.

But it is a unique way to do promos. You also get the best original content with BetUS TV, a YouTube channel where they have new shows with expert picks and analysis for just about every sport in the world. The site also has several helpful gambling guides, so BetUS does a better job than most at getting users to be better at gambling. That should be appreciated by Rhode Islanders looking to try out an offshore sportsbook with a variety of solid gambling options.

7. WagerWeb: Rhode Island’s Best Crypto Bonuses

WagerWeb is an ideal spot for crypto users since new users can get the best welcome bonuses if they use Bitcoin and MoneyGram as their deposit methods, but not everyone uses those methods, so you could get a lesser sign-up bonus if you do not use them.

The good news is WagerWeb is very similar to Heritage Sports. Both have a good site for live betting, esports coverage and solid cashback options. WagerWeb also has a nice NFL contest that is free to enter each week with big prizes.

WagerWeb offers true parlay odds, giving them an edge over some of the competition that really waters down your parlays. But the customer service at WagerWeb does not start until 10 AM ET, so it is not 24/7.

8. JustBet: Bookmaker’s Sister Site

JustBet is the sister site of Bookmaker.eu, our top-rated sportsbook. Like with Bookmaker, you get access to the earliest lines in sports betting at JustBet. You also can join a three-tier reward program with great reload bonuses, though the top tier is only for recreational accounts. But winning players will not be limited on their bets at JustBet.

You also get a wide variety of live betting options, a fair amount of props, and some casino offerings in the form of table games and live dealer games. But like with Bookmaker, there is only video poker and no poker room offered for tournaments.

JustBet’s biggest issue is a lack of innovation or building on what Bookmaker already does so well. If you like Bookmaker, you will like JustBet. You just may not find much reason to use both at the same time.

9. Everygame: Wide Variety of Sports Markets

This is the Antigua-based online casino in our top 10 list. Everygame was known as Intertops, but it rebranded itself to celebrate 25 years in the business. The redesign came complete with a new site that now has live betting, which works well with a mobile site that has a great user interface.

The web design also shines when using the downloadable poker software and playing its solid selection of casino games. But you can get more out of Everygame than just the poker tournaments. The sportsbook has a big selection of global leagues, though do keep in mind there is no dedicated racebook.

But the payment methods are diverse, the welcome bonus is generous, and it is a good sportsbook to get started with if you seek an all-around online gambling experience.

10. SportsBetting.ag: Unique Sports Promos and Contests

BetOnline’s sister site is SportsBetting. Where it lacks in originality with the name, it more than makes up for it with the betting markets offered from a variety of leagues around the world, including the most popular sports, niche leagues, and college sports. You can make multi-sport parlays and do live betting.

Like BetOnline, SportsBetting combines high limits with fast payouts and a fun assortment of promos on the sportsbook, such as moneyline insurance bets for when your team gets shut out or blows a big lead after halftime. You also can enter sports contests (both free and paid entries) with big prizes.

Sports are far from the only gambling options at SportsBetting. You also get access to poker tournaments, as it runs on the same poker network as BetOnline. You will also find many table games and your favorite games in the slot machine section.

Explaining Our Rating Methodology

We thought it would be best to show transparency in our rating methodology. We look at more than just promotions and payment speed when it comes to judging these online sites. Customer service, competitive odds, and the mobile experience matter too. Offering as many betting markets as possible for your favorite games and leagues means a lot to give users the most gambling options possible.

Comparing the Best Rhode Island Betting Sites & Sportsbooks 

Sportsbook	Rating	Online Since	Payment Methods	Read Review
Bookmaker	A+	1996	Credit Card, Bitcoin, P2P, Crypto	Bookmaker Review
Heritage Sports	A+	2001	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	Heritage Sports Review
Bovada	A+	2011	Credit Card, Bitcoin	Bovada Review
BetOnline	A+	2001	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Crypto, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	BetOnline Review
BetAnySports	A+	2002	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Electronic Check	BetAnySports Review
BetUS	A	2000	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Bank Transfer, P2P	BetUS Review
WagerWeb	A	1994	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	WagerWeb Review
JustBet	A	2000	Credit Card, Bitcoin, P2P, Crypto	JustBet Review
Everygame	A	1996	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Skrill, Neteller, Bank Transfer, P2P	Everygame Review
SportsBetting	A	2002	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Crypto, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	SportsBetting Review

Rhode Island’s Sports Gambling History

When it comes to sports betting, most states outside of Nevada have a limited history of legal sports wagers. Much of this can be traced to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992, which effectively banned sports wagering around the country, including in little Rhode Island.

But in May 2018, the Supreme Court reversed the PASPA ruling as it violated the 10th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. This opened the door again for states to have the right to choose to legalize sports betting. Rhode Island acted almost immediately, and by June, it had agreed to allow for in-person betting at the two retail locations at casinos in the state.

Rhode Island uses a significant portion of its betting revenue on taxes to fund important projects like transportation and education. The state gets 51% of revenue, the highest for any state where legal sports betting exists. The remaining 49% is split between the sportsbook (32%) and casino (17%). 

In 2019, an online gambling platform was legalized and created by IGT and William Hill. This led to the launch of Sportsbook Rhode Island, the only licensed, regulated online sportsbook in the Ocean State. Initially, you had to visit one of the casinos to register in person before you could use the app to place bets. But in 2020, remote registration was permitted, allowing for more legal sports betting to occur in the state.

In 2022, Rhode Island had a yearly handle of nearly $530 million, with almost $50 million in revenue for the state. The smaller population will always prevent Rhode Island from being one of the top gambling states in the country, but if they allow more licensed sportsbook operators in the state, sports betting revenue will no doubt increase. 

How Rhode Island Legalized Sports Betting

The following timeline shows the path Rhode Island has taken to legalized sports betting.

• 2022: Rhode Island reportedly takes in $532.6 million in betting handle and $49.2 million in revenue from sports betting for the year.
• July 2020: Users can now register remotely for access to the Sportsbook Rhode Island app and site instead of having to register in person at the casinos. 
• 2019: After the initial gambling laws were for in-person retail betting, the Governor also signs into law the passing of online sports betting in Rhode Island in March. In conjunction with the state lottery, IGT, and William Hill, the Sportsbook Rhode Island is launched as the only licensed, regulated online sportsbook in the state.
• June 2018: Governor Gina Raimondo signs bill S7200A into law, making it legal for in-person bets at state casinos in another big win for the sports betting industry as Rhode Island joined the first wave of states post-PASPA. Rhode Island would get 51% of the tax revenue from sports betting, the highest of any state in the country. 
• May 2018: Following the Supreme Court’s reversal of the PASPA ruling from 1992, states are allowed to pass sports betting laws for both in-person sports betting and online sports gambling if they wish to. Rhode Island meets the next day to have a hearing on the inclusion of sports betting in the state.

What to Look for in a Sports Betting Site

When it comes to betting on your favorite games, these are the qualities you should be looking for in a good sportsbook: competitive betting odds, variety of betting markets and payment methods, good promos and perks, live betting capabilities, a good mobile site, customer service, and the overall user experience. We look at these traits in the next sections.

Competitive Betting Odds

The odds boards across multiple sites are going to be similar as these sites are so competitive with each other. But it is good to have multiple sportsbook accounts just to shop around and make sure you are getting the best prices for your favorite picks. 

Variety of Betting Markets Offered

A great offshore sportsbook will have the popular sports like NFL and NBA, but they also will have more niche leagues like auto racing and darts. You also should be able to bet on college games with no restrictions on in-state collegiate teams.

Beyond having a variety of wagers available, you should get a solid casino offering with video slot machines, live dealer games, and even virtual greyhound racing at a site like Bovada. The more extensive sports markets on offer, the less likely we are to go use another sportsbook.

Accepted Banking Options

There are always obvious options like credit cards and bank transfers, but we also like to see online sportsbooks that offer fast and free crypto payouts and the use of eWallets like PayPal. We also make note of the associated fees, limits, and processing time involved with each banking method. 

Promos, Bonuses & Perks

Everyone wants good perks and bonuses with their online sportsbook of choice. The welcome bonus gets users in the door with a great deposit match bonus for that initial deposit. But the ongoing promos for returning users are what keep that user coming back for the reload bonuses, risk-free bets, odds boosts and much more. The more you bet at a sportsbook, the more rewards you should receive. 

Live Betting & Event Streaming

We can already see live betting as a big feature in sports betting online as users watching a game can easily place a bet now. The popularity of this is only going to increase, and similar things can be said about live streaming of big events. It may be hard for offshore sportsbooks to secure broadcasting rights with the biggest markets, but we are slowly going to see more streaming in the future. 

Overall User Experience

For a great overall user experience at an online sportsbook, you should be able to easily navigate the sportsbook to place bets on a wide variety of markets and leagues while finding it easy to fund your account, withdraw winnings, enjoy good bonuses, and get quality customer service when needed. 

Mobile Betting Experience

The vast majority of sports bets are placed through mobile sportsbooks these days, and that percentage should only rise as more mobile sports betting apps are added. Mobile sportsbooks just make it so easy to place sports bets, pregame or live, and mobile wagering is exploding as more states legalize it around the country.

So, it is crucial for a site to have a great design and user interface, and to make it easy to place bets and deposit funds. The sportsbook should be neatly organized with available markets and the ability to create parlays across multiple leagues. 

A mobile sportsbook cannot be top-tier without an excellent mobile site these days. 

Customer Service Options

The best thing customer service can do is be available 24/7 with a variety of contact methods (email, message request, phone number, social media accounts, etc.) so that you can get help efficiently. The best sportsbooks will have helpful customer service. 

Safety & Security Features

In using offshore sites, we want to feel our data is safe, as there could be fewer legal recourses to take if something happens with a company located offshore. However, the sites we recommend have been in the industry for many years and can be trusted to be using the best industry standards for safety and security. We would not recommend a site with a shady reputation. 

Betting on Sports in Rhode Island

The sports betting industry in Rhode Island essentially leaves three options to sports bettors: Retail sports betting, mobile sports betting with a licensed sportsbook, and offshore sports betting sites. We look at each in the next sections. 

Rhode Island Retail Sportsbooks

Sports bettors in Rhode Island seeking retail sports betting are in luck with two land-based casinos in the state. You can visit these casino locations for in-person betting throughout the year.

Both brick-and-mortar casinos are owned by Bally’s. The Twin River Casino is located in Lincoln and the Tiverton Casino Hotel is in Tiverton. Both have casino games in addition to the retail sportsbooks. Twin River Casino is the bigger of the two, with thousands of slot machines.

State-Regulated Online Sports Betting in Rhode Island

Rhode Island is unique in sports betting legality in that it has yet to authorize any commercial sportsbook like FanDuel or DraftKings to operate in the state. Any operator would have to achieve a license and be approved by the state lottery to offer their online casinos in Rhode Island.

But so far, the Sportsbook Rhode Island mobile site and app are the only options that have been regulated by the state as legal gambling choices. 

Offshore Sports Betting Sites in Rhode Island

There are many offshore sports betting sites available to Rhode Island users, but you have to be careful about just signing up for any one of them. You should stick to reputable sportsbooks that have a history of paying winners on time with legitimate bonus offers and competitive odds.

For that reason, your best bet for offshore sportsbooks in Rhode Island is our trusted group above, including Bookmaker, Heritage Sports, BetOnline, Bovada, and BetAnySports. 

Rhode Island’s Sports Betting Bonuses & Promo Codes

You can typically split sportsbook promos into two categories: Welcome bonuses and existing promos for returning customers.

The welcome bonuses can be huge, returning thousands of dollars in bonus funds to users who make a generous initial deposit with their new account. But these offers can also be misleading if the rollover requirement is very high, which is the number of times over you need to wager the bonus funds before anything can be withdrawn.

This is why experienced users prefer a good selection of promotions for existing users, such as risk-free bets, deposit matches, reload bonuses, enhanced odds on select markets, bet credits, parlay boosts and other exciting promotions.

Accepted Payment Methods at RI Online Sports Betting Sites

There are essentially three types of payment options available at online sportsbooks these days: cryptocurrency, eWallet payments and traditional payments. We look at each type in the following sections. 

Crypto Payment Options

Crypto is a newer form of payment that is very popular with offshore sportsbooks and very much accepted by sites such as Bovada and WagerWeb. Some sites will even offer tutorials on how to get started with it if you are not certain.

The advantage of using crypto with an online sports betting site is that the transactions usually work the fastest and do not have fees. This is why users like to use Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin and other accepted forms of crypto at online sportsbooks. 

eWallet Payment Options

A newer form of banking method is a digital wallet or eWallet. The most popular examples and ones that you can find at online sportsbooks are PayPal and Venmo. These are accounts where users can pay through a variety of ways, and it is handled by a third-party company. 

Traditional Payment Methods

Finally, there are traditional payment methods like debit cards, credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.), bank transfers and checks. These methods can be fine to use, though check withdrawals are very slow, and credit card deposits can carry annoying fees. 

Signing Up With Online Sportsbooks in RI

No matter which online sportsbook you ultimately decide to sign up for from Rhode Island, the process is going to be quick and much like this:

Step 1. Sign Up With a Sportsbook

Identify the sportsbook you want to join and head over to the site. Click on the button to register or create your account and start entering your personal details such as a password and email address to be used for your new account.

Step 2. Verify Your Information

You may need to verify your information and namely your identity by providing a full name, mobile number and address. You could also need to provide a social security number, partial or otherwise, to verify your account. 

Step 3. Fund Your Sportsbook Account

Once you are logged into your verified account, you must choose your preferred deposit method and fund your account with money. Be sure to read up on any welcome bonus first to see how much you should deposit to claim a deposit match or other bonus from the site. There may also be a code necessary to enter here. 

Step 4. Place Your Sports Wagers

Now that your account is verified and loaded with money, you can head over to the sportsbook and start making wagers on your markets of choice. There are always so many options to choose from at the best offshore sportsbooks. Remember to have fun and bet responsibly. 

Tips for Sports Betting in Rhode Island

To get started with sports betting in Rhode Island, we have provided some general tips.

• Do not bet more than you can afford to lose.
• Budget your monthly sports betting.
• Take advantage of sign-up bonuses at online sportsbooks, which usually involve a minimum deposit that can be matched in bonus bets.
• Maximize your online action by shopping around with different sportsbooks as you may find better odds at one site over the other.
• Do not bet parlays with an excessive number of legs, which is anything over 3, and if you do, place a small wager on them more for fun than anything. 
• Every additional leg in a parlay just makes it less likely to win, so adding a heavy favorite moneyline pick in collegiate sports may not be worth the minimal odds boost on your parlay.
• Choose your spots and remember you do not need to bet on every game in an available market.
• Do your research and study trends that lead to on-field results to improve your betting success. 
• Keep up on things like injury and weather reports before placing bets.
• Sports outcomes can be random and illogical, so do not be afraid to bet accordingly from time to time. Not every winning bet needs to make sense when you place it.
• Always take advantage of risk-free bet offers even if you are not generally interested in that betting market.

What is the best Rhode Island sportsbook?

We think we have provided some great gambling options for those looking to bet on sports in Rhode Island. If we had to choose just one sportsbook, we would choose Bookmaker. It has the best value for betting early lines for both collegiate sports and popular sports such as NFL and NBA. You can count on high limits, good reload bonuses in the loyalty program, and live betting. Plus, winning players will not be limited at Bookmaker. 

Rhode Island Betting Guides

• Horse Racing
• Gambling Sites
• Sports Betting Apps
• Online Casinos

FAQs – Rhode Island Online Sports Gambling