What should Sports Betting In Vermont Look Like?

The vision for legal sports betting in Vermont is still very much up in the air.


While Vermont's Sports Betting Study Committee favors the legalization of occasion wagering in the state, it has yet to decide on what kind of wagering must be permitted, including whether there need to be online sports wagering.


"We have not yet decided whether to recommend only online video gaming, retail, or both," committee chair Wendy Knight stated during a meeting on Tuesday. "I think that those concerns need to be addressed first before we can then truly understand whether or not we wish to suggest [an] existing administrative structure or a new administrative structure."


Who desires what, where, and when?


The "when" of legal sports betting in Vermont is unsettled also, although it seems trending towards next year's football season. The legislature is set to assemble once again in January, and it's then that lawmakers will have another opportunity to craft a costs that would license wagering in the state.


Another committee member, Rep. Matthew Birong, stated they have yet to think about an ideal launch date.


"If this does pass next session, that's like a July 1, probably, implementation date of everything," Birong stated throughout the meeting. "Are we, theoretically, best-case scenario saying [we are] up and running [for the] kickoff [of] football season next year?"


Knight kept in mind that research study has shown that the "prime" time for sports wagering remains in the fall with the National Football League and state colleges playing games. However, the chair said there is a looming question about the possibility of a "staggered" launch for sports betting, too.


"Do we begin with online video gaming and after that assess to go to a retail market?" Knight asked. "Do we take it in stages?