Vermont is readying to launch sports betting in the state, but is still trying to determine what the best format would be.
The Vermont Sports Betting Study Committee is inclined to recommend a mobile-only format, but is studying the possibility of retail sportsbooks as well.
Vermont does not have any casinos in the state so if they were to have retail locations they would probably be standalone facilities.
Last week the committee heard suggestions from New Hampshire Lottery Commission officials. Sports betting has been legal in the Granite State since July 12, 2019. The state launched mobile betting in 2020.
DraftKings is the only legal online sportsbook in New Hampshire, but they do have three retail sportsbooks. DraftKings does about 80 percent of the handle while the three retail facilities account for the remaining 20 percent of the handle.
“But those three locations are done with design,” Charles McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission told Covers.com. “I would submit to you that a population density of sufficiency is needed to host a sportsbook.”
One of the reasons the committee wants online betting in the state is because of the low population compared to other states. Those that are in Vermont tend to live in rural areas that are not near bigger cities.
The committee favors starting out with mobile wagering and taking a wait-and-see approach to retail locations. They would like to revisit the idea of retail locations in three years.
“If that’s our recommendation, is 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,” committee chair Wendy Knight said.
When Vermont will see sports wagering in any form is not known. The legislature passed a bill earlier in the year to create the committee. Though they are meeting regularly, no timetable has been set for when sports betting will launch.
