One mystery surrounding Rhode Island’s upcoming online casino market has been solved as Bally’s has announced StakeLogic as its partner for live dealer gaming. At the same time, Bally’s offered additional information about its timeline to launch. Bally Casino Rhode Island is still expected to launch with slots only on March 1, 2024, while live dealer games from StakeLogic will follow in April 2024.
Rhode Island’s new iGaming law grants Bally’s a monopoly for online casino gaming. It also stipulates that all online table games must use a live dealer.
However, Bally’s primary technology partner, IGT, lacks the capabilities to offer such games. It was unclear until now whether IGT planned to develop that capacity or whether Bally’s would find another company to supply them.
Online casino table games like blackjack and roulette fall into two categories:
- RNG games are entirely digital and use a random number generator to determine the result.
- Live dealer games use live-streaming technology and a human dealer, who determines the result using physical casino equipment like cards or a roulette wheel.
Rhode Island lawmakers worried that RNG table games didn’t fit the definition of those games approved by voters in the 2012 casino referendum. To be safe and avoid the need for another referendum, the bill legalized only slots and live dealer games for online play. However, Rhode Island Senate Director of Communication Greg Pare told Bonus that a separate bill to authorize RNG games might be coming in the future:
Yes, we left [the possibility of RNG table games] to explore at a later date, however, we have no immediate plans to submit that in the next session. We will be implementing the existing law and evaluating the best methods of addressing an evolving market.
StakeLogic: the New Kid on the Block for Live Dealer
The dominant force in US live dealer gaming is Evolution. It held a monopoly from 2018 — when it acquired its rival Ezugi — until 2021, when new competition arrived as Playtech opened its first studios in the country.
Evolution has been a live dealer company since its foundation in 2006. Playtech has been in the space even longer, first opening a studio to cater to Asian markets in 2003.
By contrast, StakeLogic is a newcomer to live dealer gaming, having launched its first games in May 2022. The Rhode Island studio will only be its third globally. To comply with state law, it must build the studio at one of the two Rhode Island retail casinos: Bally’s Twin River Lincoln or Bally’s Tiverton.
The Rhode Island market will be small, with a population of only 1.1 million. However, it represents an ideal opportunity for a company like StakeLogic to try its product in the US market without needing to compete with well-established giants like Evolution and Playtech.
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 U.S. 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.
What Live Dealer Games Will Be Available in Rhode Island?
StakeLogic has nine games in its catalog at its European studios. Given the small size of the Rhode Island market and the overhead cost of building each game at a new studio, it’s unlikely that the selection in the US will be as wide.
At a minimum, Rhode Islanders can probably expect the following:
Several of its other games are variations on blackjack and roulette that include game show elements and the potential to multiply the player’s winnings. It’s possible that Bally’s and StakeLogic could try one or more of these out eventually, though probably not right away:
- Super Stake Blackjack
- Super Stake Roulette
- Runner Runner Roulette
StakeLogic also offers auto-roulette and a “big wheel” game called Spin to Win. However, auto-roulette wouldn’t comply with Rhode Island laws. Spin to Win features a progressive jackpot, so it may need a bigger player base than Rhode Island can provide.
When Are Rhode Island Online Casinos Launching?
The Rhode Island online casino bill stipulates March 1, 2024, as the earliest potential launch date. However, Bally’s press release announcing the StakeLogic deal mentions that it expects to introduce live dealer games in April 2024.
Bonus reached out to Bally’s for clarification on whether that means it expects its launch to be delayed.
Craig Eaton, Bally’s Senior Vice President, Head of Rhode Island Operations, and Corporate Secretary responded:
Subject to regulatory approvals, Bally’s plans to launch online slots in Rhode Island beginning March 1, 2024.
In other words, as things stand, Rhode Islanders can expect a slots-only online casino to go live at the beginning of March next year, with live dealer games arriving the following month.
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