The Senate on Tuesday approved legislation that would allow for wagers to be placed on Rhode Island-based college sports teams or on in-state tournaments, options that are currently prohibited.
The bill was filed by Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, who has championed the modification in recent months. As currently written, the changes are limited to wagers on in-state contests where collegiate teams “are participating in tournaments that consist of four or more teams.” The bill does not amend the provision that prohibits wagers on performance or the statistics of individual players.
In a statement Tuesday, Ruggerio, who sponsored the legislation that legalized sports betting in 2018, noted the increased popularity and the revenue being lost to the state, calling the legislation “a very small change.”
