Legal Sports Betting Under Consideration in Vermont

• Vermont legislators have recently released a report that identifies the six key decision points in establishing sports betting.
• On top of having to establish rulings on six points, Vermont legislators have founded a Sports Betting Research Committee that is researching the subject.
• With so many steps to clear, Vermont legislators appear to be slow playing the process and costing the state valuable tax revenue that may be going to Vermont’s neighbors.

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Green Mountain State legislatures appear to have finally truly started the trek up the sports gambling legislation mountain, according to recent articles released on the state’s legislative website.

The article maps out the key decision points that Vermont’s legislators would have to work through, with key points specifically broken down into six different categories.

What are Vermont Legislators Deciding on?

As ranked by importance in the framework piece, those categories are:

1. How will the sports betting market be regulated? Will it be categorized as a prohibitionist, state control, or a licensed market? Tax rates would also have to be established.
2. Will any potential regulated market include retail, mobile, or online only? Decisions made on this point could include all three betting styles.
3. How would the state establish sports betting in Vermont in a way that works in the government’s best interest?
4. What state agency would govern Vermont sports betting? Would an existing agency do the job well or would new jobs have to be established?
5. Who would be eligible to participate in sports gambling?
6. How will responsible gambling resources be established? Will the state or the operators fund and operate the responsible gambling fund?

That may only be a handful of questions that Vermont’s lawmakers have to answer, but given their history when discussing sports gambling this process may take a long time.

How Long Until Sports Gambling is Legalized in Vermont?

Currently, the state of Vermont has established the Sports Betting Study Committee that is solely dedicated to researching the possibility of the state legalizing sports betting.

One of their most recent steps was having a town hall-style hearing in which the Committee allowed the public to voice their concerns and views on the idea. The public hearing resulted in views from everyone from lawmakers, to sports betting fanatics, and even sportsbook representatives being heard.

Now the Sports Betting Study Committee is to report back to legislators about their findings.

This slow process is relatively unique to Vermont, and may even be considered unnecessary to many considering that nearby states such as Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York have all either fully or nearly completed the process to bring legal sports betting to their states.

With Vermont legislators slow playing the process, the state may not launch sports betting for multiple years. In that time, Vermont will be missing out on valuable tax revenue that their citizens may be donating to those nearby states.

News tags: Massachusetts | New Hampshire | New York | Vermont