Vermont Sports Betting
The Vermont online sports betting market launched in January 2024, when three licensed sportsbook brands received the go-ahead to commence operations.
The Department of Liquor and Lottery oversees the Vermont online sports betting market and ensures licensed operators comply with a multitude of consumer protection regulations. Licensed Vermont betting sites accept customers who are 21 or older and physically present within state lines.
Other Vermont online betting options include daily fantasy sports and pari-mutuel horse racing wagering through licensed racebook apps.
Legal Vermont Betting Sites
21+ and present in VT. T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Vermont Online Sports Betting Overview
Vermont sports betting laws allow bettors 21 and older to bet on sports online with sportsbooks selected by the Department of Liquor and Lottery.
The Department selected three sportsbook brands to offer online sports betting in Vermont. DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics Sportsbook are the state’s only licensed operators.
Key things to know about betting online in Vermont:
- Fans must be 21 or older to bet online in Vermont
- Vermont betting sites may not accept credit card deposits
- Professional and college betting is permitted
- No wagers allowed on local universities or college games held in VT unless they are participating in tournaments; no prop bets on college athletes
- Bettors may voluntarily self-exclude from all online sports betting in VT
Vermont Sports Betting Apps
The Department of Liquor and Lottery has authorized three sportsbook operators to offer online sports betting in Vermont.
Vermont Sportsbook Promo Codes
Online Sportsbook | Promo Code | Welcome Bonus |
---|---|---|
DraftKings Vermont Promo Code | Not Needed | No Sweat Bet up to $1,000 |
FanDuel Vermont Promo Code | Not Needed | Bet $5, Get $150 |
Vermont Sports Betting Bonuses
Vermont sports betting bonuses are fairly straightforward, thanks to mainstream operators leading the way in offering fair, easy-to-understand, and transparent promotions.
Additionally, Vermont online sportsbooks must ensure their promotional offers comply with Section 9.0 of VT’s sports betting regulations.
Most importantly, licensed sportsbooks may only issue bonuses or promotions with rules that are “full, accurate, concise, transparent.” Licensed sportsbooks must also ensure their bonus rules do not contain “misleading information.”
For example, Vermont betting sites may not describe bonuses as “free” if customers must risk money to claim them.
Operators must also provide “clear and conspicuous” methods for bettors to decline or cancel their participation in bonuses.
Licensed VT betting sites must also maintain detailed records of every promotion they issue so the Department of Liquor can monitor their promotional activities. Further, detailed records will assist the Department with resolving disputes between customers and sportsbooks.
How to Bet Online in Vermont
Sports fans 21 and older can use licensed sportsbook apps and websites to bet on sports online from anywhere within Vermont state lines.
Almost anyone can participate, provided they don’t fit into any of the following categories of “ineligible persons” as defined by Vermont’s sports betting law:
- Under 21 years of age
- On the voluntary or involuntary exclusion list
- Not physically located in Vermont
- Placing wagers in violation of any local, state, or federal laws
- Wagering on behalf of someone else
- Athletes, coaches, regulators, team owners, their family members, and anyone else with inside information or the ability to influence sporting events
That list might look lengthy, but it applies to few people over the age of 21. The vast majority of Vermonters reading these words are eligible to bet on sports online.
Getting started is a three-step process involving choosing a licensed online sportsbook, signing up for an account, and depositing. If all goes smoothly, the average Vermont sports fan can have a funded, verified account ready to place wagers in under five minutes.
Here’s how it works, step by step.
Depositing at Vermont Sportsbooks
Vermont sports betting apps may accept a standard range of deposit methods except credit cards.
When lawmakers legalized online sports betting in Vermont, they opted to prohibit customers from using credit cards to fund their accounts to encourage responsible gambling.
Regulations adopted by the Department of Liquor and Lottery provide a complete list of deposit methods Vermont sports betting sites may accept:
- Debit cards
- Online payment systems like PayPal, Venmo, and Apple Pay
- Cryptocurrencies
- Electronic bank transfers
- Deposit methods initiated with cash
- Cash and cash equivalents (personal checks, certified checks, money orders, etc.)
- Any other method the Department authorizes
Bettors should also be aware that Vermont sports betting regulations require operators to verify every bettor’s identity before allowing them to deposit, withdraw, or place real-money bets online.
Additionally, the customer’s last name and date of birth must match the information on their photo ID.
Vermont Online Sports Betting Law
Vermont legalized online sports betting in May 2023. The law placed the Department of Liquor and Lottery in charge of selecting operators through a competitive bidding process, establishing additional regulations, and overseeing compliance with all applicable regulations.
Who Can Bet Online in Vermont?
Vermont bettors must be 21 or older and physically located within state lines. The law also outlines who may not participate in Vermont sports betting:
- Anyone younger than 21
- Department employees and same-household family members
- Operator principals and employees
- Any contractor of the Department and operators
- Contractors and employees of operators in any jurisdiction with non-public information relating to the wager being placed
- Athletes, agents, coaches, umpires, referees, employees, and others associated with or employed by teams, governing bodies, and unions may not bet on sports overseen by the governing body that regulates their sport
- Anyone placing a wager on behalf of another person
Responsible Gambling and Consumer Protection
The Vermont sports betting law emphasizes responsible gambling and consumer protection, with multiple provisions related to age and identity verification, wagering limits, and more. The law directs the Department of Liquor and Lottery, either directly or indirectly through its operators, to ensure the following:
- Vermont betting apps employ mechanisms to verify bettors’ ages and identities
- Ensure underage and restricted bettors may not bet online in Vermont
- Customers have the means to set daily, weekly, and monthly wagering limits
- Form a statewide voluntary self-exclusion program for bettors
- Ensure all owners of joint bank accounts can exclude those accounts from all licensed Vermont sports betting apps and websites
- Ensure the protection of customers’ personal and financial information
Vermont Sports Betting Advertising Rules
The law also includes advertising regulations requiring the Department to include the following in its contracts with licensed operators:
- Restrictions on advertisements and branding on products intended primarily for minors
- A strategy to limit sports betting ads that appeal to minors
- A maximum limit the Department and operators may spend on sports betting ads in Vermont
Vermont Sports Betting Taxes and Fees
Licensed Vermont online sportsbooks must pay a flat annual operator fee and negotiate a contract with the Department to share at least 20% of their revenue with the state.
The flat annual fee varies based on the number of licensed Vermont sportsbooks:
- If the Department only selects one operator: $550,000
- Two licensed operators: $275,000 per operator
- Three licensed operators: $200,000 per operator
- Four licensed operators: $162,500 per operator
- Five licensed operators: $140,000 per operator
- Six licensed operators: $125,000 per operator
Additional Vermont Sports Betting Regulations as Needed
In addition to the above, the Vermont law directs the Department of Liquor and Lottery to promulgate additional regulations detailing security standards, technology, each sportsbook’s house rules, sports integrity, and much more.
Vermont Daily Fantasy Sports
Vermont legalized daily fantasy sports via S. 136 in 2017. The law set a minimum age of 18 to participate in Vermont DFS contests and tasked the Secretary of State with regulatory oversight duties.
The law also established a standard set of consumer protection regulations governing the safekeeping of customers’ funds, technical security requirements, sports integrity, and more.
Vermont’s DFS legislation did not impose a tax on fantasy sports, but it ordered the Governor’s office to propose a tax structure. Several months after the bill became law, the Secretary of State issued a memorandum that advised leaving the $5,000 fee in place and not imposing any taxes on fantasy operators.
The secretary’s recommendation explained that Vermont is in line with other states that have passed DFS legislation and sees no reason to impose any new taxes beyond the regular income tax laws any other business pays in Vermont.
Vermont reregulated fantasy sports in 2023 through the same legislation that approved online sports betting. The new fantasy sports provisions in H. 127 transferred regulatory authority to the Attorney General and requires DFS operators to register with the Department of Liquor and Lottery.
However, the new law left the previous rules mostly intact, including a minimum age of 18 to participate.
Key Vermont fantasy sports regulations:
- Fantasy sports sites may only serve customers 18 or older
- Employees and family members of employees are prohibited from playing
- Athletes and sports officials are prohibited from participating in contests involving their sport(s)
- The use of computer scripts to gain an edge over other players is prohibited
- DFS sites must keep player funds in a segregated account
- DFS sites must submit to yearly independent audits
- Operators must provide links on their websites pointing to resources for addressing addiction and compulsive behavior
- Operators must provide means for customers to voluntarily self-exclude from participating in DFS contests
- Fantasy sports advertisements must not target or depict minors, students, and school or college settings
- Operators must register with the Department of Liquor and Lottery and pay an annual registration fee of $5,000
Vermont Horse Racing Betting
Pari-mutuel horse racing betting is legal at licensed race tracks in Vermont, but there are no active tracks today.
Vermont horse racing betting began in 1960, following a public referendum and subsequent legislation
A public referendum and subsequent legislation legalized Vermont horse racing betting in 1960. Green Mountain Racetrack opened for business in 1963 and held horse races until 1977. The track also began hosting greyhound races in 1976, but those ended in 1992, and the state outlawed greyhound racing in 1995.
Vermont Online Horse Racing Betting
Vermont law does not directly address the legality of advance deposit wagering. However, licensed horse racing betting sites operate openly in Vermont without any trouble from local authorities. The general understanding is that online horse racing betting is legal in Vermont simply because it’s not illegal.
Local authorities seem to agree because they have never taken legal action against advance deposit wagering sites in Vermont.
Vermont Gambling Expansion Proposals
Some lawmakers have expressed a passing interest in evaluating the feasibility of expanding Vermont gambling options. For example, an appropriations bill passed in 2012 included a provision directing the state to study the feasibility of selling Vermont lottery tickets online.
The Vermont Lottery still doesn’t sell tickets online, but the idea has at least entered the minds of some lawmakers. Currently, residents may only buy lottery tickets in-person or sign up for subscriptions to automatically enter 26, 52, or 104 drawings.
In 2013, representatives introduced H 93 to legalize one land-based casino in Vermont. Had it passed, this bill would have given the Lottery Commission the authority to issue one license to a qualified applicant. The licensing fee would have been $5 million, and the license would have been valid for an initial six-year term. The bill failed to progress, and any hope for a land-based casino opening anytime soon in Vermont diminished significantly.
Representative Clem Bissonnette introduced H 186 in 2013 to establish the “Vermont Gaming Commission” to license, regulate and manage gambling activities within the state. The bill would have allowed for the licensing of poker halls and home poker games. However, H 186 never made it out of the Committee on General, Housing, and Military Affairs.
Similarly, Vermont online gambling remains an unlikely possibility any time soon. There have been no noteworthy efforts to legalize Vermont online casinos, especially with regulators focused more on sports betting in recent years.
Vermont Gambling Laws
Vermont’s State Statutes restrict most forms of gambling. There is no land-based casino industry, and the statutes do not make an exception for social gambling (such as playing poker with friends at home).
Online poker and casinos are also prohibited in Vermont. To date, there have been no significant efforts to legalize Vermont gambling sites or online poker.
Lawmakers have discussed giving the state lottery more regulatory power to oversee additional forms of land-based gambling and possibly online ticket sales. If the lottery eventually gets those powers, it would bring Vermont one step closer to legalizing online casinos and poker.
The good news is other forms of online betting are legal in Vermont. State laws do not prohibit residents from placing real money bets at licensed horse racing sites and participating in daily fantasy sports contests.
§ 2133 is one of the primary pieces of text pertaining to gamblers. This section explains that most forms of gambling are illegal:
A person who plays at cards, dice, tables or other game for money or other valuable in a common gaming or gambling house that is maintained for lucre and gain, shall be fined not more than $200.00 or imprisoned not more than 60 days, or both.
Furthermore, § 2141 makes it a crime to win or lose money by gambling. The provision states that any person who wins or loses money or other valuable thing by playing or hazard at any game, or by betting on someone else playing a game, shall be fined $10 to $200.
However, Vermont allows charitable, religious, educational, and civic organizations to raise money via limited forms of gambling. The law enforces various limits on how much money charities can raise with gambling games, how much they can pay organizers, and how much prize money they can award to participants. 13 V.S.A. § 2143 provides all the details for non-profit gaming activities.
Vermont gambling laws don’t explicitly mention online gambling. However, they are broad enough in scope that it is most likely an offense for anyone to use unlicensed online casinos in Vermont.