Online sports betting will be coming to the US state of Vermont in January, announced Republican Governor Phil Scott on 12 December.
Three operators, DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics Sportsbook, will be able to offer their mobile sports wagering platforms to users in Vermont, after Scott signed a bill in June legalising online sports betting in the Green Mountain State.
Vermont will be joining over 35 (and counting) states with legal online sports betting. Other states to also legalise online sports betting include Kentucky, with Missouri looking like it may have legal sports betting on the ballot soon.
DraftKings and FanDuel have significant market shares across a variety of US states. In its September report, DraftKings and FanDuel made up around 83.5% of New York’s mobile sports wagering market share, for example, a trend that continued in October.
Meanwhile, Fanatics Sportsbook is comparably small and new, having only launched its sports betting app in April of this year. The app is also live in fewer states than DraftKings and FanDuel, but has made recent debuts in states including Virginia in late November and Connecticut in December as part of a soft launch.
The Department of Liquor and Lottery will create annual reports concerning the impact of sports betting on problem gambling. These reports will be given to the Legislature and will be written alongside guidance from the Department of Mental Health.
On the legalisation, Scott said: “I first proposed Vermont legalise sports wagering several years ago and it’s good to see it come to fruition.
“Vermonters and visitors alike will soon be able to access a regulated sports wagering marketplace, which will come with important consumer protections and generate revenue for the state.”
