Secure
Secure
Trusted
Trusted
VERIFIED BADGE
Verified
Flag Background

Online Poker in Vermont

Written by Jennifer Newell
Last updated on
The legal statue and 4 playing cards with the Vermont State Flag as the back drop.

From Mount Mansfield to the Trapp Family Lodge, Vermont is a state filled with seemingly endless natural beauty. What Vermont does not have an abundant supply of, however, is land-based regulated gambling, leaving many of the state’s residents to choose between a long haul to a neighboring state or a quick click of the mouse to play online poker for money. When the choice is put in those terms, it’s not hard to understand why more and more players from Vermont are choosing online poker sites for their poker fix, a choice that’s even easier to make after you review our Guide to Playing Online Poker in Vermont.

While you can play online poker in Vermont, it’s essential to know that playing online poker for real money is presently illegal in the state. To participate in real-money poker games, residents of the Green Mountain State often turn to offshore poker sites, which are not regulated by Vermont but are accessible to players seeking such options.

Online Poker Sites in Vermont

So how do we go about putting together a list of the best poker rooms for players from Vermont? We reason that players from the state want more or less the same attributes that other American players are seeking. Our top Vermont online poker rooms feature easy deposits, quick payouts and juicy games – all with a minimum amount of hassle and a maximum amount of reliability. Check back often, as we update this list of poker sites frequently:

Top Sites for Online Poker in Your State

No Operators Found

How Do I Play Poker Online in Vermont?

Simple as simple gets: pick a room from the list above. Create an account – all you’re going to need for that is a valid email address. Next, you’ll fund your account, either through a credit card or a funds transfer. If those options don’t work for you, most of the rooms on our Best Poker Sites for Vermont list will work with you to develop a personalized solution to depositing funds into your online poker account.

Vermont Gambling & Poker Laws Summarized

Type/CodeSummary
State Code Section(s)13.51; 31.13-14; 31.23
Definition of Gambling ProhibitionsA person who plays at cards, dice, tables or other game for money or other valuable in a common gaming or gambling house that is maintained for lucre and gain; a person who has or keeps on premises owned or occupied by him or her implements or other things used in gambling and permits persons resorting to such premises to use such implements or things for the purpose of gambling; a person who wins or loses money or other valuable thing by play or hazard at any game, or by betting on such play or hazard, or sharing in a stake wagered by others on such play or hazard.
Online Poker/GamblingThere have been no efforts by lawmakers to legalize online poker or internet gambling of any kind.
Live PokerNo live poker or even social poker games are allowed in Vermont.
CasinosThere has been little interest in legalizing casinos of any kind.
Sports BettingVermont lawmakers have indicated no proposals are in the works to examine or legalize sports betting.
DFSDaily fantasy sports contests were approved by the state legislature and the law was enacted in 2017.
Other Forms of GamblingHorse racing, on-track pari-mutuel wagering, charitable gambling for fundraising, lottery.

Is it Legal to Play Poker in Vermont?

Questions like this often require experience and insight that is simply beyond the scope of an online poker portal such as ours. That’s why we won’t pretend to provide you with a definitive answer – you should reserve such a task for a lawyer or legal professional.

So how can we help the average poker player from Vermont better understand their state law? Two ways. First, we’ve broken down the most important components of Vermont gambling law into an easy-to-read list that you can review below. Second, we’ve included links after the list that will let you review state law for yourself, aided by our cheat-sheet.

The lack of a clear definition of gambling (or similar terms like “bet” or “wager”) makes Vermont gambling law murkier than average.

It’s possible to piece together a working definition of gambling by referring to the various gambling-related charges found in Vermont code. Let’s start with Section 2133, which criminalizes the act of playing

“at cards, dice, tables or other game for money or other valuable in a common gaming or gambling house that is maintained for lucre and gain.”

Unfortunately, there’s no definition of what qualifies as a “gaming or gambling” house to be found in the Vermont statutes.

We can then turn to Section 2141, which assigns a fine (no charge mentioned) to those who win or lose anything of value “by play or hazard at any game” or by betting or sharing in the betting on same. This suggests the act of betting is the problem under Vermont law, regardless of what activity is the focus of the betting.

It’s also illegal to keep a “gambling instrument” (Section 2134) and to sell, lease or rent “gambling machines” (Section 2135).

Engaging in “bookmaking” and “pool selling” (both left undefined) carry harsher penalties than other forms of illegal gambling in Vermont.

Continue your research by reviewing the online version of Vermont’s state code.

Is Vermont Planning to Regulate Online Poker?

Any state that is looking into trying lottery sales online has a better-than-average chance of bringing poker online. While Vermont may have a positive outlook in that sense, there are still a variety of hurdles that would need to be cleared before poker players in Vermont could play in state-backed cash games or tournaments online.

Vermont Gambling Facts

Vermont has one of the shallowest regulated gambling pools in the United State. You won’t find any Vegas-style casinos, commercial or tribal. Racing was once a part of the state’s regulated gambling landscape, but such wagers aren’t available in modern Vermont.

Your choices come down to the Vermont Lottery and charitable gambling. The latter is where poker players find a bit of luck in Vermont. Poker, along with bingo and a selection of other gambling games, is allowed under charitable gambling law in Vermont.

Vermont-Licensed Online Gambling

The state of Vermont does not regulate, license or in any way oversee any form of online gambling. You could certainly devise a form of legal online betting that would be in compliance with Vermont state law. But, the state does not offer licenses of any sort to online betting operations – regardless of their legality.

Learn More About Gambling in Vermont

Vermont Attorney General. Gambling resource page from the Attorney General of Vermont. Summary of state law, links to relevant statutes and recent gambling-related developments in the state.

BallotPedia – Vermont. Track gambling-related ballot initiatives and referendums in Vermont from a single page, and access information about historical initiatives as well.

Vermont Lottery . Everything there is to know about Vermont’s largest regulated gambling offering is available at the home page for the Vermont Lottery.

All Poker and Gambling Laws by State

Vermont in the News

Jennifer Newell

Jennifer Newell

Editor in Chief
View All Posts By Jennifer Newell

Jennifer Newell is the Editor in Chief at LegalUsPokerSites. Jennifer Newell has nearly two decades of experience in the iGaming industry. She is a respected poker media member, contributing to publications like US Today, Playfecta, Cardplayer Lifestyle, and PokerScout. Her knowledge spans gambling legislation and the broader online gaming world. She has spent years advocating for diversity, most notably gender equity in the traditionally male-dominated poker sphere.

Sources & Citations For This Article on Vermont Online Poker

Comments

search

Featured Blogs