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To keep high rollers in RI, Bally’s wants to allow up to $100K in gambling credit at casinos

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To keep high rollers in RI, Bally’s wants to allow up to 0K in gambling credit at casinos


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PROVIDENCE − With backing from Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, a fast-moving bill to double the gambling-on-credit limit at Rhode Island’s two Bally’s-run state casinos to $100,000 is sparking questions.

Among them: Why is this a good idea? How deeply is Bally’s able to probe the off-limits gambling habits of online gamblers or the patrons of the tribal casinos across the border? What else does this newly filed legislation actually do?

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“Obviously we’re not interested in extending lines of credit to those individuals who would not be able to pay it back,” Bally’s representative Elizabeth Suever assured the Senate Committee on Special Legislation last week on the wide-ranging bill introduced on May 2.

Why it matters:

Taxpayers have a stake because state-sponsored gambling – including gambling in Bally’s-run two state casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton – is the state’s third largest source of revenue, with an anticipated $428.8 million in gambling revenue headed to the state treasury this year.

What is the rush on the bill?

No one from the Rhode Island Lottery – which is the state’s gambling control agency – or the Council on Problem Gambling appeared at last week’s hearing to say anything on the bill that Senate President Dominick Ruggerio allowed to be introduced more than two months after the Senate’s bill-introduction deadline.

Why did Ruggerio sponsor a bill this late in the session? “The bill was introduced at the request of Bally’s, to keep them on par with competition from casinos in Massachusetts,” a spokesperson for Ruggerio said.

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A hearing has been scheduled for this Thursday on the matching House version of the bill. That version also seeks to give the state’s Department of Business Regulation the power to change the terms in the latest version of the state’s current operating agreement with Bally’s without having to ask legislative approval.

In the State House: More than one senator seemed shocked that the new language was not delineated in “blue” – as is usually the case – and unsatisfied by Suever’s answer that this is not, technically, the kind of law that requires legislative approval.

What are the arguments for a $100,000 credit limit?

How Suever explained the need: “We want to make sure that, as the operator of the two casinos for the state of Rhode Island, we’re doing everything that we can to be regionally competitive. By that I mean competitive with those casinos that are in Connecticut, which are some of the largest casinos in the United States, and Massachusetts.”

She said Bally’s already has high limit rooms, but players in the rooms have said they can’t get the same level of credit in Rhode Island as they can in Massachusetts.

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Massachusetts does not have a credit limit. (Connecticut casinos are tribal, meaning they can decide how much credit to issue, she said.)

While Bally’s is not suggesting Rhode Island go as far as Massachusetts, she said, extending the limit from $50,000 currently to $100,000 would be “an amenity for our players that play very high limits because they don’t want to be carrying that amount of cash on their person as they’re coming and going from the casino.”

Suever said the limit would be for a “very, very limited amount of players.”

The limit would only be available to people gambling at the casino in person, she said, and would not be available to those using iGaming.

She did not mention how the casino’s are faring financially. While state revenues from the Lottery’s instant tickets, Powerball and Daily Numbers games are up year-over-year, the state’s share of the take from the video-slots and table games at the two casinos was down. At the Tiverton casino, the table game action was down 8.2%, at LIncoln, 3.2%.

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What does it take to get the $100,000 limit?

Before extending or upping anyone’s credit, Suever said they:

  • Have the player file a credit application
  • Have Bally’s do bank account checks and credit history checks
  • Require two forms of identification
  • Require a player number to track their play and their gaming history at all local casinos

How many players current carry a $50,000 credit limit? Suever wasn’t able to say, and the Rhode Island Lottery did not respond to an inquiry about the gambling debt loads of Bally’s customers in Rhode Island by deadline.

What else would the bills do?

Other features of the bill would change the 20-year deal for Rhode Island’s lottery and casino operations, according to Bally’s spokeswoman Patti Doyle, by:

  • Allowing negotiations between RI Lottery and Bally’s on the calculation of Bally’s debt ratio, allowing, for example, “addbacks for development projects and not just acquisitions.”
  • Changing the way promotional points are calculated. This is money that comes straight off the top of the state’s share that the casino can give customers as an incentive to visit and play more.



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RI Lottery Powerball, Numbers Midday winning numbers for May 9, 2026

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The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 9 drawing

15-41-46-47-56, Powerball: 22, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Numbers numbers from May 9 drawing

Midday: 0-8-9-5

Evening: 0-9-4-7

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from May 9 drawing

08-13-24-27-34, Extra: 32

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 9 drawing

08-11-17-29-49, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
  • Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
  • Winners of the Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.

When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
  • Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
  • Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
  • Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
  • Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Proposed tax hike would hurt small businesses and our communities | Opinion

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Proposed tax hike would hurt small businesses and our communities | Opinion


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  • A proposed “millionaires tax” in Rhode Island could impact small, family-owned businesses structured as pass-through entities.
  • The author, a state representative and business owner, argues the tax would reduce funds for payroll, equipment, and expansion.
  • The op-ed suggests the tax could make Rhode Island less competitive, citing high earners leaving Massachusetts after a similar tax was passed.
  • The author advocates for policies that encourage business investment rather than penalizing financial success.

Rhode Island is built on the strength of small, family-owned businesses. They are the backbone of our economy, the employers of our neighbors, and the reason our communities have character and opportunity. I know this not just as a legislator, but as someone who works every day in a family business alongside the people I care about most. That’s why I am concerned about the impact of the proposed “millionaires tax” on businesses and our communities.

While it may sound like a measure aimed at a narrow group of high earners, the reality is far different. Many family-owned businesses – especially those structured as pass-through entities – report their business income on personal tax returns. That means this tax doesn’t just target “millionaires” in the traditional sense; it directly impacts small and mid-sized businesses that reinvest their earnings into payroll, equipment, expansion and employee benefits.

In my case, our family business is a private ambulance service. Every day, we are responsible for delivering critical care to Rhode Islanders, particularly seniors and our most medically fragile neighbors. That responsibility comes with significant costs. Ambulances, lifesaving medical equipment, and the technology needed to support our crews are expensive, and they must be maintained and updated regularly to meet the highest standards of care.

Tax increases like this directly impact our ability to make those investments. These are not abstract tradeoffs – they have real consequences for the level of care we can provide. For businesses like mine, margins matter. Every dollar that goes out the door in taxes is a dollar that can’t be used to hire another worker, increase wages, buy new equipment or sponsor the local Little League team. These are real decisions that affect real people.

Supporters of this proposal often frame it as a fairness issue. But fairness should also mean recognizing the role that employers play in creating opportunity. When government makes it more expensive to operate a business in Rhode Island, we risk pushing investment – and jobs – elsewhere. Policies like this don’t exist in a vacuum; they shape decisions about where businesses grow and where families choose to put down roots.

We don’t have to guess what would happen if we raised taxes here – we can just look to Massachusetts. They passed a millionaires tax and the latest data shows a steady stream of high earners leaving for lower-tax states like New Hampshire and, you guessed it, Rhode Island. We could take advantage of Massachusetts’ mistake and build on the momentum we have built in recent years. We’ve seen the benefits of thoughtful policy decisions that encourage investment and support job creation and tax revenues are up. But progress is fragile. Policies like the millionaires tax risk undoing that work by sending the message that success will be penalized rather than encouraged.

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As both a business owner and a legislator, I believe strongly that we can – and must – strike a better balance.

We can support public services, invest in our communities, and maintain fiscal responsibility without resorting to policies that put our local businesses at a disadvantage. We can grow our economy by creating an environment where businesses want to stay, expand and hire.

Let’s focus on solutions that strengthen our economy, support our workforce, and ensure that family-owned businesses like mine and so many others across our state continue to thrive.

Rhode Island’s future depends on it.

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Jacquelyn Baginski is a state representative from Cranston.



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RI Lottery Mega Millions, Numbers Midday winning numbers for May 8, 2026

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The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing

37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Numbers numbers from May 8 drawing

Midday: 9-8-9-7

Evening: 7-9-8-9

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from May 8 drawing

10-13-15-16-30, Extra: 09

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing

14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
  • Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
  • Winners of the Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.

When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
  • Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
  • Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
  • Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
  • Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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