Rhode Island lawmakers pass remote registration amendment
A bill to remove the in-person registration requirement for bettors in Rhode Island has passed the state legislature, and is now awaiting ratification by Governor Gina Raimondo.
A bill to remove the in-person registration requirement for bettors in Rhode Island has passed the state legislature, and is now awaiting ratification by Governor Gina Raimondo.
If approved, Amendment H 8097 will allow online gaming patrons to set up and use their sports betting accounts from outside physical gaming facilities, removing the need to visit a venue in-person to complete player registrations. It will still require that the physical location of players is determined before bets can take place, however.
The amendment was introduced this month by representatives Nicholas Mattiello and Marvin Abney, and sees the definition of ‘online gaming account’ change from an account established ‘in-person on the premises of a hosting facility’, to simply an account which a ‘patron shall use for the deposit and withdrawal of funds used for online sports wagering’.
The need for in-person registration has been seen as a major barrier to customer on-boarding for operators, and like many other jurisdictions, Rhode Island has seen a significant decline in gaming revenues throughout the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.