Vermont Sports Betting

Vermont is a small but mighty state, famous for Ben & Jerry’s, Bernie Sanders, maple syrup, and much more. Soon, Vermont could add sports betting to that list. 

As of this writing, Vermont sports betting is nonexistent.  However, recent developments point to a possible legislative swing in the coming months and years. We don’t have a reliable timeline for Vermont sports betting, but recent signs are indeed promising. 

In September, The Vermont General Assembly Sports Betting Study Committee heard from a variety of stakeholders about sports betting. Vermont is a tad late to the party, but the state appears ready to make moves. Other New England states have already legalized or are in the process of doing so, and the Green Mountain State doesn’t want to fall behind. 

Sportsbooks Likely to Launch in Vermont

Vermont is the gambling equivalent of a barren wasteland. No poker rooms, casinos, or race tracks are available in the state. With only the Vermont Lottery accessible, Vermont residents currently need to venture across state lines to legally bet on sports. If and when Vermont sports betting becomes a reality, however, numerous sportsbooks could throw their hats into the proverbial ring. 

Below, we outline some of the operators we expect to launch in Vermont once sports betting is legal in the state. This list is by no means confirmed or final. We only have speculation to work from at the moment, and we’ll update this page when we get more information about Vermont sports betting. 

DraftKings VT

Boston-headquartered DraftKings has a rich history of operating in the Northeast, so Vermont is a likely market for the sportsbook to seek out. DraftKings is frequently one of the first sportsbooks to go live in a new market as soon as it gets licensing and authorization. 

We expect DraftKings to be at the top of Vermont’s list of possible operators, continuing the sportsbook’s spread into several legal markets. 

FanDuel VT

Chances are if DraftKings is live in a legal market, so is FanDuel. The two operators are neck and neck, always vying for a top slot in any given sports betting jurisdiction. Vermont should be no different. 

FanDuel is also a top contender to be one of the first to launch in any new state. We only have speculation for now, but FanDuel is very likely to come to Vermont once the state legalizes it. 

BetMGM VT

Normally, this is where we’d tell you about an MGM property in the state this page is about. But as we mentioned above, Vermont has no land-based casinos or race tracks to anchor sports betting. So BetMGM doesn’t have its claws in the market yet. That almost certainly won’t stop the operator from making a play for Vermont, though. 

Caesars Sportsbook VT

Caesars Sportsbook is another land-based conglomerate with a burgeoning online gambling platform. Despite having no major ties to the Vermont market, we believe Caesars will seek to be licensed as an online betting platform in the Green Mountain state. 

BetRivers VT

Rush Street Interactive has launched its online sportsbook in numerous markets. In most markets, it’s called BetRivers. In a few, they call it SugarHouse. No matter the name, we think it’s likely to come to Vermont once the state has fully regulated online sports betting. 

PointsBet VT

Pointsbet began as an Australia-based racing app, then made the leap into US sports betting, garnering a lot of success. Now, the operator is a top competitor in many US markets. We expect Vermont to be added to that list if and when legalization occurs. 

What Other Legal Sportsbooks Could Come to Vermont?

Though the sportsbooks we listed above are the most likely to launch, there are others that could make a play for a Vermont license. These include:

• Barstool
• WynnBET
• FOX Bet
• Unibet
• Golden Nugget

Vermont could put forth a licensing framework that limits the number of operators in the state, so we’ll have to wait and see how the market turns out before we can confirm which sportsbooks will officially go live in the state. 

What Online Sportsbook Bonuses Will be Available in Vermont?

Not to sound like a broken record, but…we don’t exactly know yet. However, existing legal states and the sportsbook bonuses available there give us a pretty darn good indication of what Vermont sportsbook bonuses will look like. Here are three of the primary bonus types you’ll find at sportsbooks in most legal markets. These are likely to be the main types in Vermont as well. 

No Deposit Bonus (Or Small Deposit Bonus)

We had to clarify with that parenthetical for reasons that will be clear shortly. 

A no deposit bonus is what it sounds like. The sportsbook will give you a small amount of betting credits just for signing up. This type of bonus is growing ever more rare as sports betting spreads to new markets. 

The slight alteration on this type of promo is the “small deposit bonus.” The best example is Draftkings. As part of its welcome bonus, DraftKings offers users $50 in bonus bets once they make a $5+ deposit. So you get the reward, but you must deposit a small amount to start. There’s a much larger portion of the DraftKings bonus, though, and we’ll cover it below. 

Second-Chance Bets

Sometimes they’re called no-sweat bets (FanDuel uses this term) or second-chance bets (BetRivers uses this one). They all work in the same way, though. Place your first bet up to a maximum amount. If the bet wins, you get your winnings and the bonus expires. If the bet loses, you get refunded your wager amount in bonus bets or credits.

The bonus bets you get work a little differently than normal wagering funds. You can’t withdraw them, so you need to place wagers with them. If you win with a $100 bonus bet, you won’t get the wager amount back. Instead, you’ll just get the winnings. 

A few examples of sportsbook second chance bet offers include:

• BetMGM: one bonus bet up to $1,000
• FanDuel: a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000
• BetRivers: one second-chance bet up to $500
• PointsBet: one second-chance bet up to $500, one second-chance PointsBetting wager up to $1,500
• Caesars: a bonus bet up to $1,250

As you can see, the amounts can vary. We expect Vermont sportsbooks will have similar amounts and offers from these sportsbooks. 

Deposit Match Bonus

Back in the early aughts of sports betting in the US, deposit matches were all the rage. Now, they’re dwindling. Only a handful of sportsbooks still offer this type of bonus. DraftKings is the most famous name to offer a deposit match. 

On top of the “small deposit bonus” described above, DraftKings offers a 20% deposit match up to $1,000. So if you deposit $100, you’ll get a $20 bonus. If you deposit $5,000, you’ll get a $1,000 bonus.

There’s a 5X playthrough requirement on the bonus, meaning you have to bet 5X your bonus amount to get the credits. For this reason, DraftKings’ bonus is best for big spenders. 

What Sports Can You Bet on in Vermont?

Let’s slap a big ol’ “TO BE DETERMINED” on that one. Vermont has yet to legalize or regulate sports betting, so the jury’s out on what sports will be offered or, more importantly, what won’t be on offer. We can use some info about nearby states to make educated guesses, though. 

Betting on US Professional Sports in Vermont

Professional sports are the closest to a sure thing you can get without formal confirmation. Almost every legal market offers bets on US pro sports without any major restrictions. That means MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL, PGA, MLS, and many more leagues will be available in Vermont. 

College Sports Betting In Vermont

College sports betting is a near-certainty for Vermont when it legalizes sports betting. The real question is: how will it be restricted — if at all?

Some states, such as New Jersey, don’t allow betting on in-state colleges. Such restrictions are aimed at stemming corruption in sports organizations. But New Jersey is attempting to walk back its stance on the issue, and many new legal markets aren’t imposing similar restrictions. 

We’ll see if Vermont prohibits in-state school bets. But either way, college betting is likely to be legal in some form when the state launches. 

Betting on International Sports in Vermont

Here’s another near guarantee. You can expect Vermont to allow bets on international sports such as soccer, cricket, rugby, and others. More obscure international leagues like darts are also likely contenders. 

Soccer is by far the most popular international sports for US bettors, and it should be covered by all major sportsbooks that go live in Vermont. 

Can You Bet on Esports in Vermont?

Esports betting has yet to break into the mainstream. Legislators are hesitant to allow it because the space is so new, and many of the players are below the legal gambling age. 

We think Vermont is unlikely to offer any esports bets, but that could change. We’ll keep this section updated as we hear more. 

What Else Can You Bet on in Vermont?

Other major events are probably safe to expect in the Vermont sports betting portfolio, chief among them: The Olympics.

Other than that, though, we expect a pretty standard array of sports and bets to be available in Vermont, without much variation on the norm. Vermont is a small state, and it likely won’t look to reinvent the wheel by offering tons of obscure markets not available elsewhere. 

Popular Ways to Deposit at Vermont Sportsbooks

Vermont will probably offer similar payment options to many of its neighboring states. Here are some of the most likely payment options:

• PayPal
• Credit/Debit Card
• PayNearMe
• Prepaid Play+ Card
• Venmo
• Online Banking
• ACH eCheck

In some states, you can deposit at a partner casino using cash. But without actual land-based casinos or race tracks, Vermont won’t be able to offer this option. 

The payment methods on offer have distinct advantages and disadvantages, though, and it’s important to know them. 

PayPal, by far, is our top recommended method. PayPal is safe, fast, and easy. It’s also reliable. Users rarely report declined transactions with PayPal, making it one of the most trusted deposit methods in sports betting. Deposits using PayPal usually hit your account instantly.

For similar reasons, we also recommend ACH eCheck and online banking. Both are secure and simple with high success rates. 

As for the payment methods you should steer clear of? There’s one big one: credit and debit cards. These methods come with a lot of risks. Depositing with a credit card and yield high-interest fees from the issuer. Debit cards run the risk of being declined — banks often flag charges at gambling sites as fraudulent. You could have a declined charge, or worse, get a hold put on your card. 

The trick, if you want to use a credit/debit card, is to connect your card to a PayPal account. That’ll let you use the card through a reliable payment provider. 

What Do I Need To Sign Up for a Vermont Sports Betting Account?

First, you’ll need to download the mobile app of your chosen sportsbook or head to the desktop site. If you’re using a desktop, you’ll need to download a separate geolocation plugin. 

From there you can create an account by providing the following details:

• First and last name
• Email address
• Password (you will create one)
• Phone number
• Address (doesn’t need to be in Vermont)
• Date of Birth
• Government-Issued Photo ID
• Social Security Number

This information will be used to confirm your identity and prevent you from creating duplicate accounts. 

Small parts of the sign-up process could change, considering Vermont hasn’t yet legalized online sports betting. But these are likely to be the pieces of information sportsbooks require of you. 

Legal Online Sportsbooks vs. Illegal Online Sportsbooks in Vermont

While you wait for legal online sportsbooks in Vermont, you might find illegal, offshore, or gray market sites offering their services. The way to tell whether you can use them is simple. As of this writing, a sportsbook that lets you bet with real money in Vermont isn’t operating legally in the state.

These sites may appear to be above board and legal, but they present a risk to bettors. They offer odds twitch gouging vig, meaning they seek profit more than offering fair odds for bettors. They have risky payment methods that you might not want to use. And their customer service is limited in hours and outreach options. 

Further, offshore sites can shut down without notice, taking your funds with them. In other words, there are various reasons to steer clear of them. No need to put yourself at risk. 

Vermont Sports Betting FAQ