Legal Poker For Vermont Residents
Vermont is not the ideal US state for poker lovers. The only legal way to play poker in Vermont is to take part in charity poker games. Moreover, the state has not legalized any form of online gambling.
This page discusses the legality of playing real money poker at offshore online poker rooms. Besides presenting a brief overview of Vermont’s gambling laws, we have also presented a wide range of legal offshore online poker rooms for Vermont residents.
Vermont Poker Laws & Statutes
Vermont’s gambling laws do not define gambling directly; instead the law charges offenders with either winning or losing through the act of gambling. According to Section 2141 of Chapter 51, those who win or lose anything of value by playing a game or betting on it or having a share in a bet placed by a third party will be fined anywhere between $10 and $200. Section 2101 talks about operating gambling businesses and suggests that gambling means risking money or anything else of value on games of chance such as lotteries, raffles, and others.
Vermont is rather lenient toward players accused of illegal gambling. As mentioned above, players can get away with just a fine. But those who operate illegal gambling businesses within the state’s jurisdiction can get a prison term of as much as 2 months along with a fine.
Vermont does not have any clear home poker laws. Players can be charged for illegal gambling if they are gambling in an unlicensed gambling facility, but they cannot be charged if they are playing in the privacy of their home. Even if they are taking part in a poker game held at home, they can still be charged for winning or losing something of value through the act of gambling. Moreover, the one who organizes the home poker game can also be charged.
Is it Legal to Play Online Poker in Vermont?
Vermont’s existing poker laws can likely apply to online gambling too. Besides, Vermont does not hold Internet Service Providers (ISP) liable for the illegal sale of lottery tickets online. No part of Vermont’s law clearly states that it is illegal for residents to sign up at offshore online poker rooms and play online poker games for real money. So, one can safely conclude that it is not illegal for Vermont residents to play real money poker at offshore online poker sites that accept them.
However, Vermont does not approve, authorize, or license any operator to run online poker businesses in its jurisdiction. Playing at such illegal online poker sites based in Vermont is definitely illegal and punishable by law. But it is safe and legal for residents to play real money poker at the offshore online poker sites we recommend.
Can I Get into Trouble for Playing Online Poker Vermont?
Vermont residents will never get into trouble for playing real money poker at offshore online poker rooms. Since Vermont does not have any law specifically prohibiting its residents from playing real money poker at offshore poker sites, it cannot prosecute its residents for doing so. So far, the state has not charged any of its residents for playing poker online. Since offshore poker sites are not based in Vermont, they are out of the state’s jurisdiction and the state cannot prosecute them for accepting Vermont residents.
You could get into trouble if you play at illegal poker sites based within the state because the state definitely criminalizes the act of running unlicensed poker sites in its jurisdiction. But you will never get into trouble if you sign up at the offshore online poker sites we have mentioned on this page.
Legal Poker Sites That Accept Vermont Players
Any resident in Vermont that has been interested in online poker should go online right now and get started. Don’t worry about legality because it is 100% legal to play online poker in Vermont and any other state in the Union. Go have fun with the sites listed below that are sure to make any new or old poker player happy.
Bovada Poker - Most Trusted Online Poker Room For Vermont
When trying something new why not start with the best of the best? Bovada is the cream of the crop, the top of the online poker room food chain. There isn’t site in the U.S. that offers the same kind of opportunities and earnings that Bovada does. For starters they have one of the biggest pools of guaranteed tournament money in the business and they also offer the best welcome bonus in the U.S.
When a player first starts playing online poker deposits can be weird, luckily Bovada makes it a lot more appealing to dive into the world of online poker with their 100% back welcome bonus. Basically as a player continues to use their Bovada account and earns more points, they are given back more and more of the initial deposit they made. When they have played enough and earned a set amount of points they will have gotten back every cent of their original deposit. In addition to this they offer a huge amount of guaranteed tournaments, at least one every day. The jewel in the crown though is the $100,000 tournament that ends every week on Sunday. Any fan of online poker looking to make money and have fun doing it should head over to Bovada poker.
BetOnline Poker - All Vermont Players 18+ Welcome Here
Want to play with the best of the best on one of the best sites in the world for online poker? Then go to BetOnline where it doesn’t get much better. Not only do they have a stellar guaranteed tournament system set up to offer their players plenty of chances to earn money, they also have managed to make their poker room one of the most fun to bet in with skill challenges and leader boards making sure everyone knows who the top dog on the site is.
For players that are purely interested in how much money they can win, they will be glad to hear that every week BetOnline poker holds a $10,000 guaranteed tournament. In addition to this they often have plenty of seasonal and bonus tournaments to play in. Not wanting their players to get lax though they make sure to offer plenty of reason to flex your poker muscle. Skill challenges reward players who can win in specified ways and leader boards offer bragging rights to those willing to climb them. In addition some tournaments are invite only, with only the top 100 players at other events being invited.
| Legal Vermont Poker Sites | Welcome Bonus | What To Play | Site Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada Poker Play / Sign Up | $1,000 FREE - 100% Match | Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo - Stud Hi/Lo |  |
| BetOnline Poker Play / Sign Up | Maximum $1K: 200% Rate | Texas Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo | |
| SportsBetting Play / Sign Up | 200% Match / $1,000 Max | Texas Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo | |
| 5Dimes Poker Play / Sign Up | Vary Weekly - Check Website | Texas Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo |  |
Does Vermont Have Legal Land-Based Poker?
There are hardly any legal ways for residents to play poker for real money in Vermont. The state lacks casinos with live poker rooms so there are no licensed and regulated environments for poker gaming. Vermont’s gambling laws permit some forms of charity gambling; so players can take part in a charity poker tournament. The state’s social gambling laws are rather unclear. Since one cannot make any definite statements about the legality of home poker games, organizing and taking part in such games is rather risky.
There are, however, plenty of legal offshore online poker rooms that accept Vermont residents, and it is safe and legal for Vermont residents to play real money poker at these sites. We have listed a number of licensed offshore online poker rooms, which not only offer grand new player bonuses, but also run lucrative promotions and online poker tournaments.
Legal Land-Based Poker Rooms For Vermont Players
There are hardly any legal ways to play live poker games for real money in Vermont. The state lacks licensed casinos, so playing at the poker room of a licensed casino is not a luxury that Vermont players can enjoy. Since social gambling is illegal in Vermont, both participants and organizers of home poker games could get into trouble. The only legal way for players to play poker in Vermont is to take part in a charity poker game run by licensed organizations to raise funds for worthy causes. Vermont is not against organizing games of chance to raise funds for charity.
Future of Poker/Online Poker in Vermont
Following the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) announcement that the Wire Act no longer applies to online poker and online casino games, the Vermont lottery commission was assigned the task of studying the various advantages and disadvantages of online gambling legalization. The commission has not yet submitted its report, and even if the commission’s report is in favor of online gambling legalization, Vermont has to overcome a number of obstacles before it can legalize online poker. In the first place, Vermont’s poker laws are outdated and badly need to be upgraded, which is a time-consuming procedure. Vermont will also have to sign strategic partnership deals with several gambling companies before it can hope to legalize online poker. Online poker legalization is therefore not something that will happen in the near future in Vermont.
