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The Vermont House Tuesday morning concurred with an amended sports betting bill sent back by the Senate, and the bill will now go to Gov. Phil Scott, who is expected to sign. Vermont would become the second state this year behind Kentucky to legalize wagering.
Vermont’s H 127 allows for digital sports betting with a minimum of two and a maximum of six platforms in the state. Brick-and-mortar sportsbooks are not part of the legislation, which includes stringent advertising and marketing guidelines designed to protect those under 21, the legal age for wagering.
Scott will have five days (excluding Sunday) from when he receives the bill to act on it. In that time, he can sign or veto, but if the five days pass with no action, the bill would be considered approved.
Vermont would be the third state behind Tennessee and Wyoming to legalize only digital wagering, and it would become the final New England state to make sports betting legal. Four of the six states in the region have live, legal betting, while Maine lawmakers legalized last year and regulators there are in the process of promulgating rules.
Massachusetts set RG standard as model
Since legalizing in 2022, Massachusetts has been a leader in crafting stronger consumer protections, requiring more of operators in terms of commitment to responsible gaming, and creating tight advertising guidelines. Vermont lawmakers followed that lead by including language that would prevent sports betting advertising on any products marketed mostly to minors.
Lawmakers decided to prohibit betting on Vermont college teams except for certain unique circumstances. They also created a sliding scale for licensing fees and a revenue-share model between operators and the state rather than a tax structure. The minimum revenue share in the bill is 20%, but the Department of Liquor and Lottery could negotiate a higher number during the bid process.
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