Vermont Online Sports Betting Sports Betting

Vermont Could Decide on Online-Only Sports Betting

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 05 November 2022

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

See Full Bio

According to recent reports, the state of Vermont could decide to go for an online-only sports betting market, at least to begin with. It is claimed that the Vermont Sports Betting Study Committee, which is the body that is looking into the launch of sports betting in the state, is likely to recommend an online-only launch.

This is a largely rural place, which could be part of the reason behind the decision if the committee does decide to recommend online sports betting only.

However, with the popularity of online betting, Vermont could still make a lot of tax revenue from sports betting activities, and online operators will be able to take the full share of the market between them because there will be no retail alternatives.

Committee Meeting Weekly

The committee was set up just a few months ago to look into the viability of sports betting in Vermont, and nine members have been meeting on a weekly basis. Following months of weekly meetings, the committee is getting ready to make its recommendations in December just weeks before the Vermont General Assembly returns.

The Chair of the committee, Wendy Knight, has said that this recommendation would not rule out the eventual launch of retail sportsbooks in the state. She said that it was important to see how online betting panned out beforehand.

In a statement, Knight said:

If that’s our recommendation, to start with mobile sports betting, I think you need to give that some time to see how that plays out in Vermont and to see the successes.

Last week the committee heard evidence from New Hampshire Lottery Commission officials who oversee sports betting in the nearby state of New Hampshire. They reported that 80 percent of its sports betting handle came from the only online licensed sportsbook in the state, which is DraftKings.

This will give the committee even more of a reason to focus on online sports betting, to begin with, as the data from New Hampshire shows that this is by far the most popular method of sports betting among sports fans, and it will prove particularly popular in more rural areas like Vermont.

Overall Popularity of Online Betting

Officials believe that since Vermont is a rural area, online sports betting is likely to be the best way forward as it means that bettors can then wager from the comfort of their own homes. However, online sports betting has become hugely popular across the board, even in major cities.

This means that the state will be able to enjoy bringing in decent levels of revenue without the need to launch retail sports betting, to begin with.

With an online-only launch, the state can simplify processes and save time, and as states such as Tennessee have shown, success levels can still be excellent even without retail sports betting. It is likely that these are among the key reasons why the committee is likely to recommend an online-only betting regime to start with when recommendations are made in December.