Rhode Island house passes online casino bill; Senate must concur with changes

Thursday, June 15, 2023 8:54 PM
  • Katherine Gregg and Patrick Anderson, The Providence Journal

The final day of this year’s legislative session arrived Thursday with a flurry of votes on Bally’s latest push to expand gambling in Rhode Island…

The campaign by Rhode Island’s exclusive casino-operator, Bally’s, and its partner IGT to usher “iGaming” into the state without a public referendum was approved on 57-to-11 vote after a pitched debate over the potential dangers of this addictive new way for gamblers to “waste and burn their money away” in the words of Rep. David Morales.

But more votes are needed before the bill winds its way to McKee’s desk because the House and Senate versions do not yet match.