Vermont Legislature passes online sports betting bill, legalization a signature away

The Vermont House of Representatives concurred on Tuesday with amendments made by the Senate to H.127, legislation that will bring legal sports betting to the Green Mountain State via mobile apps and sites.

H.127 has now passed both chambers of the legislature, putting Vermont on the cusp of becoming the 38th U.S. state to legalize sports betting.

Vermont is the lone holdout in New England when it comes to event wagering, as its regional neighbors have all voted to legalize it in some form. Sports betting was also happening in Vermont via unregulated sites, which prompted policymakers to propose legalization to try to pull that action into authorized and taxable channels with standards for consumer protection.

Gov. Phil Scott is now expected to sign H.127 into law and get the ball rolling on implementation, as he has been supportive of legalization in the past. The expectation among lawmakers is that legal sports betting could launch in the state by January 2024. 

Senators did tweak the bill during its time in the chamber before approving it, meaning the legislation had to head back to the House, which already passed H.127, to get the amendments approved. Those proposed changes include a new fee structure for operators and a ban on advertising that intends to appeal to people under 21, among other things.

Green Mountain, green light

H.127 will authorize sports betting in Vermont under the supervision of the Department of Liquor and Lottery.

If the bill ultimately becomes law, the department would conduct a competitive bidding process to select two to six operators of mobile sportsbooks to take wagers in the state. However, the department could choose one or no operators if there are not enough worthy candidates.