Vermont Officially Legalizes Mobile Sports Betting

Vermont has joined North Carolina as the two newest states to legalize mobile sports betting. Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed the bill into law yesterday, which immediately went into effect. The law will allow up to six new sportsbooks to be licensed in the state, making competition for those licenses fierce.

The push for legalized online sports betting has been constant over the last few years, with many legislatures and government officials worried about missing out on the revenue that was heading to their neighboring stats. “Because Vermont doesn’t legalize online sports betting, when they’re in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York that are partaking in that,” Lottery Commissioner Wendy Knight was quoted as saying,  “The data suggests there are thousands of Vermonters participating in this.”

What the New Law Includes

The biggest takeaway from the new law is that it only applies to online sports betting, meaning retail sportsbooks will remain illegal. While other states have enacted similar “online only” laws, Vermont is the only state in the New England region to do so. Retail sports betting was left out of the bill by lawmakers who believed it could alter the culture within the state.

Consumer protection was the Vermont House and Senate’s most significant goal when creating and amending this bill. One part of that initiative is the strict regulation of advertising by sportsbooks. All mobile sportsbooks applying for a license in the state will need to submit a complete marketing plan to ensure they are only targeting players 21 years or older. 

The new law will allow between two and six sportsbooks to be licensed in the state. The goal is to keep the industry small but competitive. The Vermont State Lottery will manage the small group of online sportsbooks.  

Timeline for the Launch of Sports Betting in Vermont

Once the bill was signed by Gov. Scott, the new law immediately went into effect. However, it will take some time before mobile sports betting actually goes live in the Green Mountain State. Here is a brief timeline of when the new industry will likely be launched:

• July 1, 2023: Vermont Lottery will officially request proposals for licensing 
• August 2023: Bids from online sportsbooks will be submitted for review
• September 2023: The state will approve proposals to fill between 2-6 licenses
• January 2024: The soonest mobile sports betting launch date

This is an estimated timeline that could see delays as the process unfolds, but January 2024 is the soonest launch date for mobile sports betting.