Governor Daniel McKee signed the legislation into law soon after, with Rhode Island’s new casino statute set to become effective on 1 April 2024.
As the current sole operator of casino gambling in Rhode Island, Bally’s manages the state’s two physical casinos, namely Bally’s Twin River Lincoln and Bally’s Tiverton.
The state’s new legislation enables Rhode Island residents aged 21 and above to engage in existing live dealer table games at Bally’s Twin River through a computer or mobile application.
This “simulcast” concept was brought in to ensure Bally’s iGaming strategy was not classified as an expansion of gambling, necessitating approval from voters across the state.
Launch in April
Bally’s said it plans to leverage Stakelogic’s software and studio technology to launch its live casino product in North America, starting with Rhode Island next April.
Bally’s intends to offer live casino games such as Blackjack, Roulette and Baccarat in Rhode Island. It will build and operate its own live studio with software and technology support from Stakelogic.
Bally’s CEO Robeson Reeves expressed his excitement about the partnership: “We are thrilled to partner with Stakelogic to bring our live casino operations online in Rhode Island.“With a partner like Stakelogic, we know we are putting our best foot forward, and we are confident that we will be able to provide our Rhode Island customers with a truly exciting live dealer experience.”
Competing with Evolution
Stakelogic operates in more than 20 markets and has two live casino studios in Europe, with one in Malta and one in the Netherlands.
The company is a potential challenger to Evolution, which is currently recognised as the industry leader in live dealer solutions and already operates multiple live dealer studios in the US. Earlier this week, US giant Las Vegas Sands also threw its hat into the ring as a potential live deal competitor.
With a portfolio of more than 250 slot games and live dealer technology, the partnership with Bally’s marks a significant milestone for Stakelogic.
Stakelogic CEO Stephan van den Oetelaar said: “We are very excited about our partnership with Bally’s as it will finally enable Stakelogic to bring its technology to the US.
“It will also enable us to build on our tremendous growth since launching live casino 14 months ago, positioning Stakelogic as a leading technology company in the iGaming industry.”
In Q1 2023, Bally’s reported a 9% increase in revenue to $598.7m. The bulk of revenue was derived from Bally’s Casino & Resorts division at $328.8m.
Bally’s currently operates 15 casinos across 10 US states and has access to online sports betting in 18 states, although the Bally Bet sportsbook is currently undergoing a technical migration after signing an exclusive long-term supply deal with Kambi.
