Vermont Legal Sports Betting Launches Thursday

Legal sports betting has been a long time coming for Vermont, but the wait is almost officially over. Some of our best sportsbooks go live at 12:01 ET on Thursday, in time to take advantage of the NFL Wild Card Weekend.

Thursday's launch is the culmination of four years of legislative battles surrounding the merits of Vermont sports betting. Once the decision to legalize was made however, a mobile-only sports betting platform took just seven months to develop, from the time it was signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott to launch day.

Three operators to go live

The Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery originally tabbed six potential sports betting providers to launch in the Green Mountain State. However, just three Vermont sports betting sites have made the cut so far, with DraftKings Vermont, Fanatics Sportsbook Vermont, and FanDuel Vermont ready to launch as the first Vermont sports betting apps.

State regulators rejected BetMGM's license application on the grounds of an unsatisfactory revenue-sharing plan. Penn Entertainment's ESPN BET was found to have submitted improper paperwork to regulators along with their application.

Preregistration ends before midnight, but starting Thursday, bettors within Vermont state lines can download the Vermont mobile sports betting site of their choice, take advantage of Vermont sportsbook promos, and commence wagering activity.

More about the Vermont legal sports betting platform

As mentioned, three of a possible six mobile sports betting licenses in the Green Mountain State have gained the go-ahead to launch on Day 1 of the state's legal sports wagering platform. The three mobile sportsbooks will be available to all bettors 21 years or older hoping to place a wager within Vermont state lines.

Vermont providers will have a relatively typical menu of sports betting options for bettors. North America's four major sports — the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL — will comprise a menu of more than 70 sports, including esports. 

High school sports betting will not be allowed under Vermont state law, and wagers on the Green Mountain state's NCAA teams will be permitted only if the team is participating in a tournament such as the upcoming March Madness.

At least 20% of state providers' adjusted gross revenue will be taxed, and each provider in the state will pay an initial $550,000 licensing fee. In a somewhat convoluted tax policy, FanDuel will pay 33%, while DraftKings and Fanatics will pay 31%.

Tax revenue is expected to reach $7 million in the first year of operation in the Vermont market.

Special offers

Vermont's three initial legal sports betting providers offer handsome sign-up promotions for new bettors in the state. 

FanDuel Vermont offers $200 in bonus bets after a customer places one singular $5 wager with the provider and deposits at least $10 into a FanDuel account. FanDuel will also employ their "Super Boost" product on Thursday in the state. FanDuel's pre-launch special provided $100 in Bonus Bets.

Fanatics Sportsbook Vermont is offering its typical “bet $50+, get $200 in bonus bets” promotion for new clients in the Vermont market. A minimum of $50 in wagers will need to be spread out over the first five days of operation in the Vermont market, with at least one wager taking place each day.

DraftKings has yet to announce a launch promotion in the Green Mountain State. Bettors can be assured, however, that it will be competitive.