Vermont Online Poker Laws
Vermont Online Poker Law
With no casino industry and only a scattering of charity poker tournaments each month, Vermont may be beautiful, but it ain’t so pretty for online poker players.
As of late 2013, there were no online poker or online gambling bills pending in the state’s legislature, nor was there any talk about joining the online poker game once neighboring states like New York begin to go live.
As the second-smallest state in the country, Vermont would have a whale of a time supporting an online-poker industry within its borders by itself. Imagine if an online poker site opened there that was only allowed access to people within its 9,600 square miles. At least the games would be competitive after all the players get to know each other.
The only way online poker players in Vermont will be legally allowed the access online poker sites is if the state first passes a bill that would allow it to contract with states like New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada (and sooner than later, New York), and then sign agreements.
It’s not that hard to picture Vermont eventually signing an agreement with New York, say around 2016. This would allow online poker playing New Yorkers, many of which vacation in Vermont, to be able to take the game with them across the border.
In many ways, online poker players in small states like Vermont and Rhode Island that wouldn’t be able to support their own poker network are in better shape than states with multiple casinos. By 2017, these small states will be able to pick and choose which states they will contract with to allow their players access to online poker.
It’s hard to imagine that Vermont’s lawmakers will try to prevent its online poker players from accessing the game. Vermont is an extremely liberal state. Heck, people walk around naked on college campuses. Residents here are proud of their live-and-let-live attitude.
If the federal bill the Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013 is approved, Vermont certainly would allow its online poker players to play.
When Will I Get to Play Online Poker in Vermont?
As the rest of the country goes, so will Vermont. Passing the Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013 would be the best and easiest way online poker will come to Vermont, but that’s no slam-dunk. Once other states start going live with online poker, particularly New York, look for lawmakers to begin to look at how online poker access not only would be the right thing to do for online poker players, but will benefit the state itself. Vermont residents should be able to play online poker by 2017.
