Vermont became the 29th state with legal online sportsbooks on January 11, 2024. Five sportsbooks applied for licenses. However, the state only picked three operators. The Vermont Lottery regulates betting sites. Find out more below in our Vermont online sportsbook review.
All bets must be on mobile devices. Retail sportsbooks are not available. The minimum age is 21. Bets must be placed within state lines. Credit cards are not an available deposit option at Vermont online sportsbooks. Debit cards, bank transfers, and PayPal are the most common methods.
Available Sports for Wagering in Vermont
There are over 70 sports on the board in Vermont. This includes baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, tennis, golf, auto racing, boxing, and mixed martial arts should be available. Professional sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, NASCAR, PGA, and UFC will be on the board.
Vermont players can bet on college sports, except for games played in the state or involving a school located there. The exception is in a tournament like March Madness and the College World Series. In March 2024, Vermont banned betting on college player props.
Types of Vermont Sports Bets
All major forms of sports bets are available. The section below explains each one.
A point spread is the most common sports bet. In football, -3 is typical. This means the bookmakers think the favorite team will win by three points. If it wins by four or more, the favorite covers the spread. When it loses, wins by one or two, or ties, the underdog point spread tickets win. If the favorite wins by exactly three, the game pushes. All point spread bets are refunds.
Football and basketball have point spreads. Baseball has run lines. Hockey has puck lines. Those are usually -1.5. Lopsided games may go to -2.5.
Moneylines
Moneylines predict an outright winner. The point spread does not matter. The favorite lays money. The underdog usually wins more than the wager. However, in an even match, both sides lay money, like -110 on both sides.
An example of a moneyline with a defined favorite and underdog is -150, meaning the favorite bets $15 for every $10 the player hopes to win. The underdog is usually +130 in this example, meaning for every $10 wagered, the player wins $13 in the team wins.
Totals
Totals are when a bettor takes the over or under the number of points scored. The number depends on the type of game. Basketball has the highest totals. Football is next. Baseball and hockey totals tend to be under ten.
Straight Bets
A straight bet is a ticket with only one outcome. This is a single bet, like a point spread, total, or moneyline. It depends on one outcome, which either wins, loses, or sometimes pushes.
Parlays
Parlays combine two or more outcomes. It can be all the same types of bets, like point spreads, moneylines, teasers, or a combination of those. Same game parlays often consist of prop bets on top of spreads and totals.
Bet by State recommends building your own parlays and not picking the ones offered by the site unless you discover the odds are better. Prefilled same game parlays tend to offer worse odds than an identical ticket built by the player.
Teasers
Teasers are like parlays. These wagers are only available for football and basketball. Two or more outcomes are involved. However, as the name implies, there is a tease. Football bettors add 6, 6.5, or 7 points to their advantage. Basketball teasers are 4, 4.5, and 5 points. The more points added, the lower the payout.
Futures
Futures bets predict an outcome down the road. This includes wagering on the team that wins a division, conference, World Series, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, and March Madness.
Props
Props are bets on statistical outcomes like rushing yards, free throws made, or hits in a game. It can also be team stats, like points scored or yards rushed by one side.
Live Betting
Live betting is action taken on an event that already stated. This can be on adjusted point spreads, totals, and moneylines, or microbetting, which covers how the next play or score happens.
Beware when making live bets. Steaming delays put players in a tough position. It is possible that a play or two happened and you don’t know it. Bet by State recommends placing these wagers during breaks in the action, like commercials or halftime.
Online Sportsbooks Operating in Vermont
No live sportsbooks exist in Vermont. Three companies launched on January 11, 2024:
- DraftKings
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
History of Gambling in Vermont
There is little in the way of legalized gambling in Vermont. Horse racing was legalized in 1963. However, there are no operating tracks. Off-track betting is permitted in taverns and on mobile apps.
The Vermont Lottery was created in 1977. Instant games, kiosks, and lotto drawing games are available. Subscriptions to lotto drawings are available on the Vermont Lottery website.
Charities operating at least a year may have bingo games, raffles, and casino nights. Prizes are limited to $400 per game, except one per day may be $1000, and one per year may be worth up to $50,000, such as raffling off a boat or car. Daily fantasy sports contests became legal in 2017.
Casinos are not legal in Vermont. Players must go to Canada, New York, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts for casino action.
The Vermont legal gambling age is 18 for most forms. It is 21 for sports betting.
Vermont Sports Betting FAQs
What are the legal requirements for Vermont Sports betting?
The minimum age is 21. Bettors must use mobile apps to place the wagers and be within the state line at the time of action. Retail sportsbooks are not available.
Is it legal to wager on college sports in Vermont?
College sports betting is legal with one exception. In-state colleges are off the board unless the team is in a tournament like March Madness or the College World Series.
Is it legal to bet on horse races in Vermont?
Betting on horses is legal in Vermont. However, there are no live tracks. Bets must be made at tavern off-track betting parlors or on mobile apps.
Are fantasy sports contests legal in Vermont?
Fantasy sports contests are legal and regulated in the state.
Does Vermont support responsible gambling programs?
Vermont residents can call 1-800-662-4357 for help with a gambling problem. There are Gamblers Anonymous programs available throughout the state.