A week after the House Committee on Judiciary struck down a proposal by the Rhode Island State Police to make it a misdemeanor for anyone under the age of 21 to gamble online, that very legislation is now headed to the chamber’s floor.
Without any debate, the committee on Tuesday reconsidered the bill to amend the state’s 2023 iGaming law and advanced it with a 10-5 vote. The legislation sponsored by Rep. Gregory Costantino, a Lincoln Democrat, would impose up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine if anyone ages 18 to 20 bets or plays in the virtual casino.
Bally’s Corp., which runs Rhode Island’s two casinos, manages the only iGaming app available in the state.
Fears that high-school aged kids would get hooked on iGaming led lawmakers to restrict access to anyone under 21 when state officials legalized online gaming in 2023.
