Bally’s will become the second active online sports betting platform in Rhode Island after the company secured a license in the state. 

Rhode Island launched sports betting in 2019, but offers users only one option, Sportsbook Rhode Island. The state extended its deal with IGT to operate the platform earlier this year, but also opened the door for another company to enter the market. 

Bally’s was confirmed as the new licensee on Wednesday, with Lottery Deputy Director Michael O’Rourke admitting it was not a competitive application process. Only one other operator applied, Rush Street Interactive. 

“Bally’s is thrilled to have been awarded a second sports betting license by the State of Rhode Island,” said spokesperson Patti Doyle. “We appreciate the confidence and trust the State has placed in our ability to provide a best-in-class product – built for scalability, innovation, and the evolving demands of modern bettors – which will generate additional revenue to benefit the Rhode Island taxpayers.”

High Tax Rate Puts Off Applicants

“There was a hope we’d get more companies to reply, but they didn’t,” O’Rourke told NBC 10. The prohibitive 51% tax rate on gambling revenue may have put many companies off. 

“I think that was part of the reason some of the companies did not respond,” O’Rourke admitted. 

Rhode Island’s tax rate is the highest in the country, along with New York and New Hampshire. New Yorkers wager more than any other state, which is some compensation for the high tax rate. Rhode Island, with a population of just over 1 million, is a less attractive proposition. 

Bally’s already operates the state’s two licensed casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton, meaning it already gets a cut of the sports betting revenue. 

Under the state’s revenue-sharing structure, the state receives 51% in taxes, the online operator collects 32%, and the physical sportsbook gets 17%. With a foothold in the state already, Bally’s seemed the obvious choice to launch an online platform. 

Esports Betting Could Be Launched At Bally’s

Sportsbook Rhode Island does not currently offer esports betting, but Bally’s online platform, Bally Bet, offers odds on most major events. 

The platform will go live in Rhode Island in November, and esports could feature on the app. Bally’s has had a keen interest in esports over recent years and made a $100 million offer to acquire Allied Esports in 2021. In the end, it lost out to private investment firm Element Partners.

In the same year, Bally’s successfully completed its acquisition of Gamesys, which fuels its online betting engine. The company’s technology allows it to manage thousands of micro-bets per second and offer a wide range of in-play esports markets. 

Bally’s is looking to expand its online presence with the acquisition of evoke, the parent company of popular online platforms William Hill and 888. The company is rumored to be the frontrunner as the struggling UK-based gambling group looks for buyers.

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If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Jet Set Radio and a tactical RPG had a child, Canvas City might be the answer.

Announced during The MIX Summer Games Showcase, the upcoming title from Disc 2 Games drops you into a city where creativity has been suppressed. Public art is banned, music is restricted, and expression itself has become an act of rebellion.

You lead the Fire Starters, a group of skaters, artists, musicians, and dancers who fight back not through violence, but through style. Battles play out on tactical maps where movement is just as important as strategy.

Pulling off tricks, skating through urban environments, and tagging territory all contribute to building powerful abilities that can turn the tide of a mission.

The game promises more than 80 abilities, a roster of recruitable characters, crew customization, and a story centered around reclaiming a city that has lost its identity.

A demo is expected soon, while the full game is currently planned for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

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One of the strangest and most memorable games shown in The MIX Summer Games Showcase 2026 was undoubtedly Oh My Doug!, a new hand-drawn metroidvania from Mexican indie studio Odd Men In.

The game takes you on a bizarre adventure through the inside of a man named Doug, transforming his body into a colorful world filled with strange enemies, unusual weapons, and interconnected regions waiting to be explored.

The developers are leaning heavily into 90s cartoon aesthetic and like any good metroidvania, progression revolves around unlocking new abilities and discovering previously inaccessible areas.

However, Oh My Doug! adds its own twist with quirky humor and a co-op-focused design that allows you to control multiple protagonists throughout the adventure.

Here’s a rundown, plus the new trailer:

Stop the apocalypse by playing… with yourself.

When Doug decides to get in shape, the tiny inhabitants inside him think the world is ending. Shoot your way through the body of a middle-aged man trying to get rid of you.

Oh, My Doug! is an irreverent, comedic action-adventure platformer. Control two mismatched heroes with different abilities who are forced to work together. Explore the strange inner world of Doug’s body, discovering bizarre weapons, cartoon powers, odd creatures, and interconnected biomes inspired by the anatomy of a very unhealthy man.

Features

• A Metroidvania Inside a Human Body – Explore interconnected regions inspired by organs and bodily functions. Anatomy makes navigation intuitive, turning Doug’s unhealthy body into a bizarre world of grotesque humor.
• A Single-Player Co-Op – Control two heroes forced to stick together. They have wildly different abilities that combine into a complete toolkit; their personalities, however… don’t mix nearly as well.
• Looks Like a Cartoon, Plays Like Hell – A huge cast of odd characters and weird monsters come to life with traditional hand-drawn animation. An afternoon cartoon—with razor-sharp controls.
• Outlandish Arsenal – Ride an Acme rocket, throw a portable hole, or blast flames from a squid’s butt. Every weapon and tool runs on cartoon logic, making it wildly different from anything in a typical shooter.
• Irreverent 90s Cartoon Tone – Chat with a sperm cell, spend the night in a tooth cavity… or explore a cemetery deep in the bowels. Every grotesque idea is delivered in glorious, high-detail gross-ups.

Oh My Doug! is currently planned for PC and consoles in 2027, with a Steam page expected to arrive soon.

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