Guide to Vermont Gambling Age: Casinos, Sports Betting & More

Vermont’s gambling laws are considered very restrictive when compared to other US states. Under state legislature, traditional forms of wagering are prohibited, but some traditional forms are accepted during charity nights that do not award cash prizes. Because of these prohibitive laws Vermont does not have any commercial or tribal casinos, card rooms, electronic gaming devices or legalized sports betting.

Further, Vermont does not allow online gambling in the state and the current state laws would have to be completely overhauled to allow any form of online gamingto exist. Because of the required overhaul and lack of support for legalizing any form of online wagering it looks as if Vermont residents will have to wait a long time before any form of online casinos, poker or sports betting is available. Below you’ll find the Vermont gambling age for the types of wagering that are legal in the state.

In the table above we have set out the legal gambling ages for each form of legalized real money wagering within Vermont. The table clearly illustrates how prohibitive Vermont’s laws are, with only two forms of legalized gambling – lottery and Daily Fantasy Sports. Both of these legalized forms require players be 18 to participate. If there is not an age then that form is illegal in Vermont.

On this page we will go into further detail regarding the legality of all forms of popular gambling in Vermont, as well as discussing the legal age required to participate in each form of legal wagering. We will also give you some insight into the history of gambling in Vermont and discuss any law reform that might be on the horizon.

Casino Age in Vermont

Vermont’s laws are very clear when it comes to commercial or tribal casino gambling, it is illegal. Bricks and motar casino venues have been outlawed within Vermont throughout the history of the Green Mountain State. As there is no commercial or tribal casino industry within Vermont there is no legal casino age for Vermont.

There have been moves over the years to attempt to legalize casino gambling in Vermont. The most recent moves were made in 2011 after a reinterpretation of The Federal Wire Act 1961 opened up the possibility of legalizing online casino gaming. In 2011 a proposal was put towards Vermont’s state legislature arguing that land-based casino gambling should be legalized. The proposal set-out the groundwork for establishing a land-based commercial casino industry, from which the state would reap massive financial benefits through taxes and registration fees. However, this proposal was vehemently rejected by the state’s legislature and did not continue any further.

In terms of any future developments in the bricks and motar casino industry in Vermont it looks as if it could be an uphill battle in Vermont. Recent decisions made by the state’s legislature showcase the conservative position they take towards any form of gambling or wagering within the state. There are many staunch Republicans within the state that actively block any related regulation reform, and until pressure from state residents increases to a point at which it cannot be ignored, casino gambling within Vermont will remain illegal.

What are The Casinos In Vermont that accept 18 year Olds?

There are no casinos that allow entry to 18 year olds in Vermont. As there are no casinos within Vermont’s state boarders there cannot be any that allow entry to 18 year olds. 18 year old residents of the Green Mountain State should not be disheartened though, they are able to participate in the state’s lottery and Daily Fantasy Sports.

Sports Betting In Vermont

One form of gambling that might be a glimmer of hope for Vermont’s residents who are gambling fans is sports betting. While being illegal in the state for many decades there have been moves in the last 12 months to attempt to legalize it in the Green Mountain State.

Vermont is known to have very active residents, with a lot to offer in terms of recreational activities throughout the year. Skiing and Snowboarding are incredibly popular in the winter months while hiking is a favored pastime of state residents throughout the year. While there aren’t any major league teams that call Vermont home, the state has many sports fans who would love the opportunity to wager on their favourite Major League teams.

After the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act 1992 (PASPA) was overturned in 2011 many US states quickly moved to legalized sports betting in both in person and online forms. Vermont was not so quick on the uptake, given the state’s traditionally conservative approach towards forms of gambling the state has bided it’s time in legalizing sports betting.

In early 2019 a bill was introduced to Vermont’s state legislature that proposed the legalization of sports betting within the state. Since the introduction of the bill there has been several high-profile debates surrounding the bill’s proposal, which is unique in that it would allow the state to write rules for licensees to extend credit to sports bettors, while also allowing for in-person and online betting.

At the time of writing discussions are still ongoing regarding sports betting’s legality. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic other more pressing matters have taken precedence in Vermont’s state legislature so residents of Vermont may still have to wait a bit longer to learn the fate of sports betting’s legality.

One form of sports wagering that has been legal in Vermont for decades is pari-mutuel betting on horse and greyhound races. Unfortunately, there are no active race tracks in Green Mountain State, so this law is effectively void as there are no races available for residents to wager on.

One form of sports wagering that is legal in Vermont is Daily Fantasy Sports. Daily Fantasy Sports has been legal in Vermont since 2017 when Vermont became the second state in the US to legalize it. We will discuss Daily Fantasy Sports legality in more detail later on this page.

Vermont Online Gambling Age

The laws surrounding online gambling in Vermont are confusing, to say the least. There is an understanding that all of its forms are automatically considered illegal in the Green Mountain State. As there is an understanding that all forms of online gaming are illegal in Vermont there is no age regulation connected with it.

Vermont’s state lawmakers have actively blocked all attempts to introduce any form of online gambling industry, but in their blocking of these attempts they have been unable to showcase a clearly defined law that imposes illegality on placing wagers online – however, this legality ambiguity is common across many US states and it has become an accepted interpretation that bans on in-person forms of gambling stretch to include online gaming also.

Despite what appears to be an incredibly restrictive legal framework in place in Vermont there have been a few glimpses of hope. In recent years there have been murmurs of legalizing online gambling. However, no concreate steps have been taken by the states legislature. As it is such a new form of real money games of chance, Vermont’s state legislature is probably taking its time and watching how online gambling progresses in other states before making a decision as to how it progresses in the Green Mountain State.

Poker Gambling Age

Poker is the most popular form of gambling, sadly for residents of Vermont it is illegal in the Green Mountain State for cash prizes. The only time poker in any form is permitted in Vermont is if it is being played as a charitable game and there are no cash prizes involved.

The ban on poker extends to the online sphere as well. As mentioned earlier, there is no explicit legislation that outlaws online poker in Vermont but the state has applied a blanket illegality to all forms of online gaming – arguing that the current state laws extend to cover online forms as well. Due to Vermont’s conservative reputation when it comes to gambling it is highly unlikely that poker in any form will be legalized in the near future.

Daily Fantasy Sports

While Vermont may not be generally considered the most gambling friendly state in the US, it surprised many by becoming the second state in the US to legalize Daily Fantasy Sports in 2017. After this legalization Vermont residents over the age of 18 were able to legally play Daily Fantasy Sports within the Green Mountain State’s borders.

Daily Fantasy Sports was legalized in 2017 after many lengthy discussions within the state’s legislature regarding the game’s legal status within the state. The state’s Attorney General argued that Daily Fantasy Sports operators were in breach of Vermont’s gambling laws opining that it was a game of chance and not skill and therefore governed by state laws. However, it was this statement that meant that state lawmakers moved fast to legalize Daily Fantasy Sports as they noted the incredible tax benefits that would come to the state by regulating the game.

Currently Vermont taxes Daily Fantasy Sports operators annual revenues as well as requiring each operator pay a $5,000 annual registration fee to operate within the state. It is most likely the success of Daily Fantasy Sports that has allowed the state legislature to be more open to the idea of legalizing sports betting in the Green Mountain State.

Legal Age to Play the Lottery in Vermont

Vermont has had a hugely popular state lottery in place since 1977. The lottery has gone from strength to strength over the years, raising millions of dollars for the state’s Education Fund. Residents must be 18 years or over to participate in the state lottery.

Lottery players in Vermont has the opportunity to play several different lottery games such as Lucky for Life, Mega Millions, Powerball and many other regional favorites such as Megabucks Plus and Gimme5. All revenue raised from the state lottery is reinvested in the state via the State Education Fund which has provided funding for education infrastructure and scholarships over the years.

Unfortunately for Vermont state residents the lottery is yet to go online. There is very little support for online gambling in Vermont and it appears that there isn’t much of a want for an online lottery amongst Vermont’s residents as the in-person system of purchasing is so popular and widely supported.

Vermont Gambling Laws & Future Outlook

In accordance with Vermont’s conservative approach to gambling as a whole, state laws can be found in the state’s criminal law codes under title 13. Under these laws gambling is defined as ‘winning or losing money or another valuable thing by play or hazard at any game’. This incredibly broad definition is what Vermont’s state legislature applies to all forms of popular wagering activities in the state.

The gambling economy in Vermont is incredibly small. With the state lottery and Daily Fantasy Sports available as the only legal forms that there are, there is little to no related economy to speak of. All revenue from the state lottery is reinvested in the state itself and Daily Fantasy Sports, while being popular does not create enough of an economic impact to establish Vermont’s gambling economy to rival powerhouse economies such as neighboring state Nevada’s.

There are taxes applied to gambling winnings in Vermont. For both Daily Fantasy Sports and the state Lottery, any winning above a certain limit is required to have 25% withheld as a federal tax. For Daily Fantasy Sports this limit is $600, whereas for the state lottery it is $5,000.

In terms of law developments, the one area in which Vermont’s residents might see a change is in sports betting. There is currently a bill tabled with the state legislature that proposes the legalization of sports betting across both online and in-person forms. Should this bill be passed then Vermont’s gambling economy would rapidly expand. In order to stay up to date with all legislation changes and get to know the restrictions in each state, refer to our USA legal gambling ages article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully this page has given you a good introduction to the laws in the state and has helped clarify the Vermont gambling age. Should you still have questions that need answers take a look at our answers to the most frequently asked questions below.