Rhode Island Lawmakers Include Sports Betting In Budget Proposal
In a first for the state, the $9.6 billion budget proposed by the House of Representatives includes language that would also legalize sports betting in Rhode Island.
Unveiled on Friday night, budget bill H 7200 is largely a revision of the plan proposed by Governor Gina Raimondo in January. The new proposal still includes an estimated $23 million from sports wagering, but it also has a provision that would at the same time legalize sports gambling.
Technically, state voters legalized sports wagering in Rhode Island via referendums in 2012 and 2016. However, the state does not have any sports betting laws that detail regulation, which makes it necessary for sports betting legislation to be introduced.
The language from a standalone bill, S 2045 , is included in the House budget proposal. Under both pieces of legislation, sports gambling would be authorized at the Twin River Casinos in Tiverton and Lincoln. The new bill also breaks down the tax and revenue stipulations for operators, and sets the legal sports wagering age at 18 years or older.
Aside from sports betting, the budget package asks voters to authorize $250 million in bonds to revamp the state’s school system, allows MA and CT medical marijuana holders to use RI dispensaries, and also gets rid of the Medicaid cuts proposed by Raimondo.
The new plan also focuses on supporting human services, dedicating $18 million to toward helping people with developmental disabilities. Raimondo also intended on increasing the cigarette tax by 25%, which is a provision that would have given RI the highest tax rate in the nation. The House budget nixes this, along with the proposal to increase the number of medical marijuana dispensary licensees from 3 to 15.
The House Finance Committee approved H 7200 on a 15-3 vote and the bill will be considered by the full House next Friday. Though July 1st is the deadline to pass a state budget, lawmakers are anticipating approval by June 22nd.
House Speaker Nick Mattiello has stated that he would like to have sports betting launched in Rhode Island by October 1st.
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