Vermont Sports Betting Bill to Allow Online Sportsbooks Clears Assembly Committee

Posted on: March 17, 2023, 11:04h. 

Last updated on: March 17, 2023, 12:59h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Vermont sports betting bills have been considered in the Montpelier capital each year since 2018. That’s when the US Supreme Court struck down a federal law that limited single-game sports wagering to Nevada. But now, the odds of a sports gambling bill finally passing in the Green Mountain State appear better than ever.

Vermont sports betting online sportsbooks
Vermont Rep. Matt Birong speaks with a colleague in the House chamber on March 1, 2023. Birong’s bill to legalize Vermont sports betting is making progress nearly five years after the federal government returned the legality of such gambling to the states. (Image: Getty)

House Bill 127 was introduced by state Rep. Matthew Birong (D-Addison 3) on January 31. The bipartisan legislation has six Democratic and three Republican cosponsors.

HB127 seeks to allow online sportsbooks to operate lawfully inside the state. Only bettors at least 21 years old and physically located inside Vermont would have access.

Birong’s sports betting bill found support this week in the House Ways and Means Committee. After receiving a reading in the committee tasked with finding ways to increase tax revenue, members passed the statute with a nearly unanimous vote.

The legislation has since been forwarded to the House Appropriations Committee for further discussion.

Bill Details

Vermont lawmakers who support allowing people inside the state to place a sports bet say their objective is twofold.

Backers say a legal, regulated sports betting market protects consumers from participating in offshore online sportsbooks without player safeguards or legal remedial processes for disputes. Supporters also claim that allowing online sportsbooks would keep gaming revenue from flowing to neighboring states where sports betting is permitted.

Vermont is bordered by three states — New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Sports betting, both in-person and online, is legal in all three.

There are 33 states, plus Washington, D.C., where legal sports betting is operational. Three additional states have passed laws to regulate sports gambling, but haven’t yet begun operations. North Carolina, Kentucky, and Missouri lawmakers are among the states considering sports betting bills this year.

Birong’s HB 127, should it find favor in the state House and Senate and signed by Gov. Phil Scott (R), would authorize the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery to field applications from mobile sportsbook operators.

The lottery commission would be required to authorize at least two online sportsbook permits, but not more than six. Each applicant deemed suitable for a license would need to pay the state an annual license fee of $275K.

Responsible Gaming Paramount

Birong hopes to win over some gaming detractors by including specifics in the sports betting bill that address responsible gaming. HB 127 requires that 2.5%, or $250K, whichever is greater, is allocated from the sports betting tax for a newly created Responsible Gaming Special Fund.

Birong’s statute also would require that each operator annually submit a responsible gaming plan to the state that includes how the sportsbook will inform players about responsible gaming resources and self-exclusion programs. HB 127 would prevent a sportsbook from receiving an operating license until the company submits a responsible gaming strategy that’s approved by the Liquor and Lottery Department.

The Liquor and Lottery Department would additionally be required to annually present the state with a report on how sports betting has impacted problem gambling in Vermont. The yearly review will be conducted with the Vermont Department of Mental Health.