Tag: #casinos @rhodeisland

Rhode Island Casino Specs and History

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BRIEF Rhode Island Gambling History

Rhode Island Casino Specs and History begins with a different start from their northern neighbors. Massachusetts kicked out Rhode Island’s Puritanical founding father, Roger Williams, for spreading “dangerous opinions.” He landed in the Ocean State. He wanted a place where citizens could be free to live their lives according to personal conviction.  Thus, Rhode Island was William’s place for personal liberty.

According to GamblingSites.com, Rhode Island “became home to a thriving lottery industry. Towns and villages used the collected profits to fund building projects and trade missions. Lotteries supervised by the Masonic lodge and other community organizations. As a result, they funded much of Rhode Island’s early colonial development throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The late 1800’s saw a state constitution and state laws banned lotteries and gambling in any form.

Twin River as Lincoln Park before Major Expansion

Twin River as Lincoln Park before Major Expansion

Horse racing (1930), Greyhound racing, and a lottery (1970) eventually made pari-mutuel wagering legal. In 1992, Rhode Island approved VLT gaming machines (classII) at Lincoln Greyhound Park & Newport Jai Alai.

In 2007, Lincoln Greyhound Park became Twin River Casino with class III gaming. Newport Grand soon followed, redesigning without Jai-Alai. Major expansion in 2007 included class III VLT’s, more like standard Vegas style slot-machines.

Facing competition from Foxwoods in CT, table games were approved for Twin River casino in 2012.  The city of Newport refused to allow table games at Newport grand. This was the demise of the now closed casino.

Twin River Casino

Tiverton Casino/ Hotel.

Recently, Twin River added a hotel and Newport Grand closed and moved operations to the new Tiverton Casino & Hotel. Twin River Holdings not only owns the two Rhode Island casinos, but has recently invested in adding five more casinos.

Current Legal Types Of Gambling

Casino Games: Las Vegas style games offered at both Twin River & Tiverton. Table games are offered at both casinos.

Live Poker: Twin River has a poker room.

Sports Betting: As of November, 2018, Rhody allows sports betting. In early 2019, lawmakers expanded legal sports betting to include online and mobile betting. Rhode Island soon will have mobile sports betting.

Related Posts – New England Sports Betting Arrives – Rhode Island Twin River First in NE

Rhode Island Sports Betting Will Go Mobile Soon After Governor Signs Bill

Lottery Betting: The State lottery in Rhode Island which includes Keno games and VLTs (virtual lottery terminals) with their own instant gambling type games is a powerful part of the state revenue.

Rhode Island Casino Specs

 

RIhode Island Casino Specs

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Rhode Island Casinos “By The Numbers”

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Rhode Island has two  state-licensed casinos: the Tiverton Casino Hotel, which opened Sep 1, 2018 in Tiverton, and the Twin River Casino in Lincoln. Both are owned and managed by the Twin River Management Group, Inc. The former Newport Grand Slots in Newport, RI was closed Aug 28, 2018 and its slots license was transferred to the Tiverton Casino.

Originally built for greyhound racing, Twin River Casino is now a full casino.

Greyhound racing in Rhode Island began in 1977, when Lincoln Downs, a thoroughbred track, was transformed it into a greyhound track and renamed it Lincoln Greyhound Park. In 1992, Rhode Island approved VLT gaming machines (classII) at Lincoln Greyhound Park (now known as Twin River Casino & Hotel) & Newport Jai Alai (now the closed Newport Grand.)  After a bribery conviction in 2005, was renovated, enlarged the and renamed Twin River. Track owners were required by law to offer 125 days of live greyhound racing a year. Revenues from racing plummeted and in 2009 TR added 4,751 video lottery terminals, bars, restaurants, a comedy club, and an auditorium

Twin River as Lincoln Park before Major Expansion

Twin River as Lincoln Park before Major Expansion

Twin River Casino

Twin River Casino & Hotel

 

Tiverton Casino & Hotel

Twin River Casino & Hotel Tiverton Casino & Hotel
Hotel TR Hotel Tiv Hotel
Location Lincoln, RI Tiverton, RI
# of Hotels 1 1
Hotel Rooms 136 rooms & suites 84 rooms
Hotel Amenities indoor pool, fitness center, spa gym / fitness center
Gambling TR Gambling Tiv Gambling
Legal Gambling Age 18 18
Casino Size 162,000 sq. feet 33,600 sq-ft
Smoke-Free Gaming? ENTIRE 2nd Floor is NONSMOKING Designated on Casino Floor
Total # of Slots & VP 4500 including Video Poker, Video Blackjack, Video Roulette 1000 slots & Video poker
Comped Alcoholic Drinks? No No
Table Games 80 – includes Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Three Card Poker, Craps, Spanish 21, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker and Big Six ‘Money’ Wheel Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Roulette, Spanish 21, Three Card Poker, 18 stadium seats
Poker Room 16 tables no
Racebook Simulcast Wagering, GH, HR, JA Simulcast Wagering, GH, HR, JA
Rewards Club TWIN RIVER CASINO REWARDS 3 Tiers Tiverton CASINO REWARDS 3 Tiers, affiliated with Twin River Casino
VIP Lounges 1 1
Dining TR Dining Tiv Dining
Food Options 1 Fine Dining, 2 Casual Restaurants, 3 Food Courts w/ 12 options 2 Fine dining, 4 Casual
Buffet? No No
Bars 5 1 + iPourIt wall
Entertainment TR Entertainment Tiv Entertainment
Venues 1 large Venue, 2 small venues 1 small venue
Convention/ Meeting Space 29,000 sq.ft. Event Center none
Other Entertainment Options none none
Retail none none
Owner Twin River Worldwide Holdings Twin River Worldwide Holdings
PARKING Free Free
Hours of 24/7 24/7
Operation

Best of 2016, New England Casino Awards – Editors Choice and Analysis

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fisherman-8h-8076-mPolls based on popular vote and surveys can be very misleading.  Other times, they can be spot on.  As a musician, I tend to look at things like The People’s Choice Awards as nothing but a great example of “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Many times, the truly deserving recipient of the award is not known as well, or people have not experienced their product as much.  So goes with many popular votes.

Today we take a closer look at the “Netties” votes and the analysis for our own Editors’ Choice Awards.  Some were well deserving, but others were not, probably due to the lack of most gamblers experiencing all seven casinos one by one

Best Hotel – Nettie Choice:  1.Mohegan Sun   2. Foxwoods                 Editors’ Choice: Foxwoods – NETG picks Foxwoods because of the number of rooms, rooms of all levels, and more on-campus hotels, all quality places to stay. 

Foxwoods Hotels. Missing in picture is Two Trees Inn.

Foxwoods Hotels. Missing in picture is Two Trees Inn.

Best Bars – Nettie Choice: 1.Mohegan Sun   2. Foxwoods  2. Twin River    Editors’ Choice: 1.Mohegan Sun   1. Foxwoods (tied)

Best Night Clubs / Lounge – Nettie Choice: 1.Mohegan Sun 2.Foxwoods Editors’ Choice: 1.Foxwoods 2. Mohegan Sun – Mohegan Sun has more bars, but Shrine is the best club.  Add Liquid Sundays in the summer, and you have the best at Foxwoods.

Shrine - One of the Best Night Clubs on the East Coast

Shrine – One of the Best Night Clubs on the East Coast

Best Dining Options – Nettie Choice: 1.Mohegan Sun   2. Foxwoods Editors’ Choice: 1.Mohegan Sun   1. Foxwoods (tied)

Favorite Restaurant – Nettie Choice: Tom’s Urban (MoSun)          Editors’ Choice: Tuscany (MS) & Red Lantern(Fox) & Fluties22 (Plainridge) tied.  As for Tom’s Urban, we had heard complaints recently on service, and the warmth of the food served. Inconsistency seems to be setting in.

Best Dining Value – Nettie Choice 1.Mohegan Sun  2.Oxford Casino & Plainridge Park

Editors’ Choice:  – Mohegan Sun, Oxford Casino, Foxwoods & Plainridge Park all offer a good bang for the buck, you just have to compare.  

Best Buffet – Nettie Choice 1.Mohegan Sun   2. Oxford Casino  Editors’ Choice:  Ditto!

Best Small Venue for Entertainment – Nettie Choice 1.Mohegan Sun Editors’ Choice:  Ditto, again.  Nothing in the area tops the Wolf Den.

Wolf Den - Mohegan Sun

Wolf Den – Mohegan Sun

Best Large Venue for Entertainment – Nettie Choice & Editors’ Choice: Mohegan Sun Arena

Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville CT

Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville CT

Best Casino Slots – Nettie Choice 1.Mohegan Sun   2. Twin River & Plainridge Park (tied)

Editors’ Choice: – Plainridge Park.  Higher slots payback, improved VP, and added slotplay bonuses, Plainville, MA is the place to go.

Favorite Slot Machine – Nettie Choice: Cashman & Hot Hot Penny (tied)

Editors’ Choice: – How can it NOT be Wheel of Fortune in it’s 20th anniversary, and almost 100 variations.Wheel of Fortune Slot

Best Video Poker – Nettie Choice & Editors’ Choice: 1. Mohegan Sun  2. Foxwoods. Mohegan Sun still leads New England in the number of 9/6 JOB offered, while Foxwoods has more progressive VP jackpots.

Best Casino Table Games – Nettie Choice & Editors’ Choice: 1. Foxwoods  2. Mohegan Sun & Twin River (tied)

BEST Poker Room – Nettie Choice:1. Foxwoods  2. Twin River       Editors’ Choice: Foxwoods – Still one of the largest and most exciting poker rooms in the country

Foxwoods Poker Room

Largest Poker Room in N.E. at Foxwoods

Favorite Table Game – Nettie Choice: 1. Blackjack  2. Craps            Editors’ Choice: 1. Blackjack  2. Texas Hold’em (table game)

Best Racebook – Nettie Choice: 1. Foxwoods  2. Plainridge Park    Editors’ Choice: 1. Foxwoods  2. Mohegan Sun – but Plainridge has showed improved signs of life with the new casino. It’s cleaner and feels more like a racebook than a OTB.

Best Casino Players Club – Nettie Choice: 1.Mohegan Sun               Editors’ Choice: Foxwoods – improved Players Club Card, addition of Tier/status multipliers, and a friendlier club to locals puts it #1.Foxwoods rewards wonder

Casino You Feel the Luckiest In – Nettie Choice: 1.Mohegan Sun   2. Twin River & Plainridge Park (tied)

 Editors’ Choice: Pick ’em!  You win, you feel the place is luck, you lose……well you don’t.

Finally, our thoughts on two new questions we asked about this year:

How Many times Do You Visit a New England Casino? –                                 1. 63% once/month      2. 25% once/week

NETG has a feeling there is a little denial going on here.  Definitely more than once per month for most gamblers.

Which casino (approved or not) are you MOST interested in visiting in the future?  1. Third Connecticut casino   2. Wynn Boston Harbor

Wynn Boston Harbor

Wynn Boston Harbor

MGM Springfield Casino Entrance

MGM Springfield Casino Entrance

Again, we think this is swayed by the CT voters who voted this question. But, Wynn and MGM Springfield have got to be the next best things to happen to the New England Casino landscape.  Personally, I can’t wait, and the rest of the staff is especially looking towards the Wynn Boston Harbor opening.

Well, that’s a look at the Best of 2016.  Can’t wait to see changes on the rise.

Keep following NETimeGambling.com for as your complete New England Casino Resource.

Binbin, Miguel, & Bert