Vermont Expands Sports Betting to Feature Online Betting

The state has received the go-ahead from its legislature as well as Gov. Phil Scott who signed the bill into law on Wednesday and made online sports betting legal. Overall, sports gambling is now legal in more than 30 states in the country, with online gambling the next frontier some jurisdictions still have to tackle. Vermont though is no longer going to worry about this. Commenting on his decision, Scott said:

I first proposed Vermont legalize sports betting several years ago and I’m happy the Legislature has come to an agreement, as well. We know many Vermonters already participate in the marketplace and bringing it above board provides important resources and consumer protections.

Gov. Phil Scott

The bill mandates that the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery will be in charge of sports wagering, with the licensure granted to anything between two and six eligible parties. Meanwhile, the state is also looking to act preemptively and has involved the Department of Mental Health in order to start tracking what impact sports betting would have on problem gambling rates in Vermont.

All licensed operators would also have to provide a detailed breakdown of what actionable measures they have put in place in order to curb problem gambling and the resources they have made available to bettors to address potential issues.

Vermont Addresses Responsible Gambling from the Start

Some of the measures already suggested include self-exclusion programs, house-imposed player limits, and more. House Bill 127 also plans for other measures that are designed to strengthen the overall safety of the sports betting industry in the state. For one, the bill limits operators’ ability with regard to advertisement.

Vermonters who are under the age of 21 must not be targeted, and Liquor and Lottery Commissioner Wendy Knight confirmed that her department was capable to ensure that operators play by the book and follow the established rules.

Meanwhile, the state is expecting to see around $2 million in the fiscal year 2024 coming from sports gambling, with the full potential of the legalized industry reaching $10 million per year. Of course, there have been opponents to the measure, arguing that online sports gambling is potentially more addictive and would be the source of more ills than good.