Super Bowl LIII will be an "important test" in Rhode Island, which has seen "disappointing returns on sports betting" since legalizing it last fall, according to Andy Rosen of the BOSTON GLOBE. Massachusetts lawmakers will also be watching the Rhode Island returns "carefully as they prepare to consider legislation" legalizing sports betting. In December, Rhode Island's first full month of sports betting operations, $13.1M was wagered at Twin River's casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton, "far short" of the $67.8M the state "hopes people will eventually spend each month." The $500,000 in monthly state revenue from sports betting was "less than a third of what had been expected" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 1/31). The AP's Jennifer McDermott noted Rhode Island is the "only state in New England that allows sports betting, making it a focal point for Patriots fans from around the Northeast." The states that "jumped into sports betting last year and the casinos that offer it are hoping its a profitable weekend." Rhode Island receives 51% of the revenue from sports betting -- the "highest percentage of any state that has legalized it." Revenue from the Super Bowl is "expected to boost the state's coffers, but the state lottery and the casino management group aren't making projections on how much." During the NFL's regular season, casino customers "complained about waiting an hour or more to place a bet" (AP, 1/31).
BETTING ADS: On Long Island, Neil Best noted Super Bowl LIII is the "first to feature a guilt-free deluge of gambling ads." New Jersey has "already taken the leap" in legalizing sports betting, while New York is still working on it, so gambling ads "always include a caveat about placing your bets only in the Garden State." The "biggest winners this week are the media outlets raking in the dough from betting operations eager to tap into Super Bowl excitement." WFAN-AM hosts "must have been lining up in recent weeks to record ads promoting gambling opportunities, which now are playing on a near-constant loop" (NEWSDAY.com, 1/31).
