Casinos in Vermont
Casinos in Vermont have rather strict anti-gambling regulations, which means that the state has no land-based gambling industry to speak of. Gambling in Vermont is centered around charity gambling events, which may involve cards, bingo, or raffles. However, use of electronic devices like real online slots is strictly forbidden. The state used to regulate horse racing and greyhound racing, but the racing laws were revoked. Vermont has a rather popular state-operated lottery.
Vermont Gambling Laws
Unregulated gambling in Vermont is illegal according to Chapter 51 of Vermont Statutes. This unfortunately extends to home games and social gaming, however it is worth pointing out that only illegal gambling operators tend to face serious charges. There are no regulations pertaining specifically to gambling over the internet, so one could argue that playing at an offshore casino site isn’t even an offense.
On the other hand, state officials could argue that the computer, tablet, or smartphone used for online casino gaming was made into an illegal gambling device and is therefore illegal. This issue hasn’t been resolved yet and is very unlikely to be resolved in the future, as Vermont law enforcement officers aren’t really interested in catching individual players – no online casino customers have even been prosecuted so far.
Online Casinos
Vermont doesn’t allow intrastate online gambling, which means that there are no online casino operators located within the borders of the state. However, as mentioned above, Vermont residents are pretty much free to play on offshore sites, which aren’t based in the United States and don’t have to follow the local regulations. Offshore casinos generally offer excellent bonuses and a broad game selection.
High-profile sites are 100% safe to play on, as guaranteeing safe withdrawals and customer security is what made them popular in the first place. However, I wouldn’t recommend inexperienced casino enthusiasts to play on sites that haven’t already been reviewed here, as there is a small danger of running into a scam site that won’t honor its promotions or won’t allow you to withdraw your winnings.
Offshore Casino Sites That Accept Vermont Players
The vast majority of US-facing casinos accepts Vermont players, which means that local online gambling aficionados shouldn’t have any problems with finding a high-quality site to play on. Most of those sites are powered by Real Time Gaming software, but the best casinos like Bovada tend to offer plenty of games developed by third-party companies, such as the three-dimensional slots from BetSoft.
Most Vermont players fund their offshore casino accounts using credit card payments, but this method has a serious drawback – only the cards that have been cleared for international transactions will work. Even worse, MasterCard and American Express cards aren’t 100% reliable, which means that the transaction might be blocked. Visa cards have a higher acceptance rate, but Vermont residents who’d like to avoid the hassle of trying several cards are forced to deposit via a Western Union/MoneyGram money order. Thankfully, most sites support bank wire cash outs and withdrawals via a check by courier, so getting your winnings is easier and doesn’t involve similar issues.
Developing Legal Scenarios
Vermont isn’t a gambling friendly state, but over the past few years things have started moving in the right direction. Vermont passed a bill that allows online lottery ticket sales in 2012, and while the legislators have revoked the law that allows horse race betting within the borders of the state, it seems that the legislators aren’t completely hostile towards the idea of legalizing Vermont-based intrastate gambling sites.
