Vermont Sweepstakes Casinos
Sweepstakes casinos are the only viable way to play casino-style games online in Vermont and (potentially) win cash prizes. Some states have cracked down on sweepstakes casinos in recent years, but Vermont remains comparatively sweeps-friendly, so most major brands are active here.
Legitimate sweepstakes casinos in Vermont include:
- WOW Vegas Casino
- Ace.com Casino
- Casino.Click
All mainstream sweepstakes casinos that accept Vermont players run on two digital currencies: Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.
Gold Coins (GCs) are for entertainment only and have no cash value. You can buy GCs, but there is no way to redeem them for anything of value. They are for fun and bragging rights only.
Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for cash or gift cards, but there’s no way to buy them. You can receive SCs as bonuses when purchasing Gold Coins, but you never have to buy anything. Legitimate sweepstakes casinos always offer ways to get free SCs through new customer registration bonuses, social media promos, and mail-in requests.
Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal in Vermont?
Vermont is one of the few states that don’t leave the legality of sweepstakes casinos to guesswork. Sweepstakes casinos operate in a legal gray area in most states because their law don’t directly address the business model.
In contrast, Vermont’s criminal code makes a clear exception for “no purchase necessary” sweepstakes contests. 13 VT Stats § 2143b states:
“…a person may organize, execute, or participate in a contest or game of chance, including a sweepstakes, provided that persons who enter the contest or game of chance are not required to venture money or other valuable things.”
In simple terms, games of chance are legal in Vermont as long as they’re free to enter. Sweepstakes casinos meet that condition because players don’t have to buy Gold Coins to get Sweeps Coins; there are always several other ways to get free SCs.
That said, Vermont’s sweepstakes laws predate today’s online sweepstakes sites. Sweepstakes sites have faced no legal challenges in Vermont to date, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re immune to future action.
Local officials have never weighed in on whether buying a Gold Coins package bundled with Sweeps Coins counts as “venturing money.” Regulators and law enforcement officials in other states have decided that it does, resulting in numerous states banning sweepstakes casinos.
Vermont Online Gambling Laws
Vermont law prohibits gambling for money outside of specific exceptions approved by the legislature (the state lottery, online sports betting, and charitable gambling).
The prohibition applies to both operators and players, although the consequences for players are relatively minor. Under 13 VT Stats § 2141, anyone “who wins or loses money or other valuable thing” faces a fine of $10 to $200.
Technically, that means using an offshore casino to play slots online or blackjack for real money risks a $200 fine if caught. In reality, we’ve never seen the state target an individual for playing online casino games from home.
Like most states, Vermont reserves the harshest penalties for operators. Under 13 VT Stats § 2101, anyone who operates, promotes, or materially aids an illegal gambling operation faces up to a year in prison and a $10,000 fine for a first offense.
Will Vermont Legalize Online Casinos?
Vermont is unlikely to legalize online casinos in the near term, but its longer-term legalization prospects aren’t entirely closed out.
Unlike many states, Vermont does not face a constitutional prohibition on casinos or opposition from entrenched gambling interests. If the Vermont legislature ever decides to pursue legal online casinos, it could do so with a standard bill (no constitutional amendment necessary).
Limited Political Will is Vermont’s Primary Obstacle
Vermont’s greatest challenge is a simple lack of political will. The legislature has never considered a bill to legalize online casinos in Vermont or even shown any appetite for gambling expansion beyond sports betting and the lottery.
In a state that couldn’t even get a 2026 bill (H.669) to authorize online lottery sales out of committee, legal casino apps are a long way off.
No Gambling Industry Can Be Good or Bad for Legalization
Vermont’s lack of an established gambling industry can be both an advantage and a disadvantage for legalizing online casinos.
On one hand, most states that legalized online casinos did so by building their markets on top of existing gambling interests (casinos, racetracks, or tribes).
Vermont has no casinos, horse racetracks, or federally recognized tribes. That means there are no existing stakeholders to which the state could award online casino permits. Additionally, there’s no tribal compact option under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which only covers federally recognized tribes.
A market for Vermont online casinos would have to be built from scratch, most likely through the Department of Liquor and Lottery, which regulates online sports betting in Vermont.
On the other hand, no established gambling industry means there is no incumbent casino lobby to oppose legalization over cannibalization fears or fight over who gets to run Vermont’s casino apps.
Market Potential of Vermont Online Casinos
If Vermont legalizes online casinos and issues licenses to multiple operators, the market would likely generate $110 million to $160 million per year at maturity. A single-operator monopoly market would come in much lower.
Vixio’s 2024 50-state report estimated that Vermont online casinos could generate $112 million in annual revenue at market maturity. Vixio described its own estimates as “likely to be conservative,” but it also modeled its forecasts on states with competitive, multi-operator markets.
Using more up-to-date numbers, West Virginia online casinos generated revenue of nearly $440 million in fiscal year 2026, or roughly $250 per resident. At that rate, Vermont online casinos could eventually reach annual revenue of around $161 million.
If Vermont instead pursues a single-operator monopoly market, annual revenue from online gambling would likely top out at a lower figure. The Rhode Island online gambling market serves as a useful comparison point for how a single-operator market might perform in Vermont.
Rhode Island’s lottery-run market served exclusively by Bally Online Casino earned about $45 million in fiscal year 2025, or about $40 per resident. At that rate, Vermont online casinos would generate about $26 million annually, although Rhode Island’s numbers are still climbing fast.
Vermont Online Casinos FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade's worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of BettingUSA.com. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.