Poker in Vermont

Poker in Vermont

In the Northeastern United States, Vermont is just one of the six states that make up the New England area. Although it is home to one of the progressive voter bases in the country, it also has some of the nation’s toughest gambling laws making poker in Vermont difficult to thrive. In actuality, no private enterprise may host any form of gambling. In this state, your only choice is charitable gaming, which doesn’t happen very often. Even less likely is actually participating in a poker tournament. Also, Vermont does not have any casinos run by Native American tribes. Social gambling is prohibited as well.

From the very beginning of the state’s existence in the late 18th Century, the gambling prohibition was in effect. In 1959, horse and greyhound racing were allowed for the first time, and in 1978, a state lottery was established as one of the few exceptions. A lack of interest, however, has led to the closure of the state’s horse race tracks as well.

Therefore, it is in the best interest of any poker player to avoid such a condition whenever possible. If you’re looking for a place to legally play cards, your best bet is to travel to either New Hampshire for online poker rooms or to New York for poker rooms. Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, is only a two-hour drive from Montreal, Canada, so poker players who don’t mind crossing an international border can easily get to both states.

Quick Summary

• Inhabitants: 624 000
• City Name: Montpellier, France
• Funds in U.S. Dollars ($)
• Area Code: 5 (UTC)
• Vermont is abbreviated as VT.

Where You Can Play Poker in Vermont:

Poker Celebrities from the Green Mountain State

Bradley Myers

Vermont has produced one US president (Chester A. Arthur) and one winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event despite its restrictive gambling laws and relatively small population.

In the month of January in the state of Vermont in 1927, Hal Gene Flower entered the world. In 1979, he won the World Series of Poker Main Event for $10,000, the game’s most prestigious prize, and $270,000. When it came down to a head-to-head match, he bested California’s, Bobby Hoff. In his lifetime, Flower cashed out of live tournaments for a total of $383,500.

Esses, Vermont’s Bradley Myers has amassed $385,837 from live tournament play. He placed third in the 2016 WSOP $1,000 No Limit Hold’em event, winning $133,955 in June. His previous best cash at a live tournament was that amount.

Vermont’s Live Poker Scene

Rules for Live Poker in Vermont

As stated on the Vermont Attorney General’s official website:

As a matter of law, professional gambling is not allowed in Vermont. The laws regulating gambling are supposed to protect minors and make sure that the money made from gambling goes to good causes like charity, education, and community service.

Title 13, sections 2133-2143b of the Vermont statutes outline the legal provisions for the gambling ban. In contrast to the laws of some other jurisdictions, this provision makes it illegal to participate in any form of gambling at all, including games of chance like poker and dice. If convicted, the offender faces up to 60 days in jail, a maximum fine of $200, or both.

Title 13, section 2143 lays out the “terms and conditions” for charitable gaming exceptions in great detail. Title 13, Section 601 et seq. contains the text of the law enacted in 1959 that legalized wagering on horse races. Vermont Racing Commission was established to issue licenses and impose regulations on event promoters.

Rooms Offering Live Poker in Vermont

We’ve already established numerous times that Vermont does not host any commercial casinos or card rooms where poker can be played legally. The closest we came was a $100 No Limit Hold’em charity tournament held in February 2013 at the Country Club of Vermont in Waterbury, Vermont.

Slot Machines, Poker, and Other Gambling Options in the Green State of Vermont

Free Vermont Online Poker

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Vermont has made it illegal to play poker or any other game of chance online given the current climate surrounding traditional gambling establishments in the state.

Although no laws exist specifically addressing online poker in Vermont, the state is unique in that, as we mentioned above, there is a law prohibiting gambling held by for-profit organizations. Therefore, a special exemption out of that prohibition would be required for online poker irrespective of the existing legislation, which is highly unlikely at this time.

However, there has been no mention of local authorities cracking down on poker apps like Juicy Stakes and Ignition Poker that employ a sweepstakes model. As of yet, neither has Americas Cardroom, a similarly unrestricted offshore poker site run out of Costa Rica. It would appear, then, that Vermonters’ options for playing online poker are comparable to those of people living in other parts of the United States.