Vermont law allows residents to bet on horse races, but they’ll have to look outside the Mountain State’s borders to place their bets.
The Green Mountain State allows parimutuel wagering, virtually all providers of online betting on horse racing via advance-deposit wagering (ADW) accounts accept Vermonters as customers, including the four biggest providers — TVG.com, TwinSpires.com, NYRABets.com, and Xpressbet.com – as well as smaller operators such as 123Bet.com, DRFBets.com, and AmWager.com.
These sites offer a variety of signup bonuses and reward-for-play incentives, as well as a range of ancillary handicapping products, so it pays to shop around before deciding on a service.
You must be 18 or older to place online horse bets in Vermont.
Vermont Horse Race Betting Sites & Offers
| Racebooks | Welcome Offer for Vermont | Other Promos |
| Nyra Bets | $200 deposit match | Odds boosters, daily offers |
| TVG | Get up to $200 back | Get a $25 Bonus for every friend you refer |
| TwinSpires | $200 sign-up offer | Free play daily & weekly options |
| Xpressbet | $100 sign-up bonus | XB Rewards loyalty program |
| 123bet | $1230 new member bonus | Refer-a-Friend bonus: get $50 |
| 1/ST BET | $100 sign-up bonus | Rewards points every Tuesday and other weekly offers |
| AmWager | $300 deposit match | Daily cash rewards |
| DRF | Get a $200 bonus on the first deposit | Earn up to $50 every week |
| Hollywoodraces.com | $200 sign-up Bonus, | WINsurance Offers: refund up to $20 |
How to claim a horse racing bet promo in Vermont?
Horse racing betting features for Vermont
- Nyra Bets Vermont Features:
- Free live video streaming (HD live and replay) on Thoroughbred, Harness, and Quarter horse racing and race replays nationwide
- Free handicapping tips
- Swap positions quickly for Exacta, Tri & Supers
- Weekly live money handicapping contests with cash prizes
- TVG Vermont Features:
- TVG Expert Picks for everyday
- Free Past Performances Program
- Live streams from tracks around the US and beyond
- Money Back Special on select races
- TwinSpires Vermont Features:
- First Race Freeplay: get $100 in Free Bets
- 15% boost on a winning Trifecta bet every Tuesday
- Exacta insurance: get a bet back of up to $10
- Live races and highlights of previous races
- Bet Back offers (receive a refund for your bet if the horse you bet on to win the race finishes in second or third)
- Daily Double bets
- Xpressbet Vermont Features:
- Horse racing’s leading loyalty program (receive two XB Rewards Points for every dollar you wager)
- Cash prizes in regular handicapping contests
- Deposit by mail
- Bet the horse races over the phone
- AmWager Vermont Features:
- Current and historical horse race results from a single screen
- Advanced wagering structuring tools. Dutching, ABC method, Rank betting.
- DRF Vermont Features:
- Unlimited DRF Classic and Formulator Past Performances
- Free Beyer Speed Figures
- Free DRF expert picks
- 1/ST Bet Vermont Features:
- Up-to-date news about upcoming races
- Unlimited access to the BETMIX products: Toteboarding, Free Daily Race Analysis, and “Race of the Day” Past Performance
- 123bet Vermont Features:
- No fees Friday (deposit $10 or more on Fridays via credit card or Paynearme)
- Loyalty Reward Points
- Handicapping products from Equibase (available only on the web)
- Hollywood Races Vermont Features:
- Free Expert Picks
- Loyalty program for top players (earn up to $200 in bonuses each week with the 2 VIP promotions)
Horse bet types available online
In Vermont, you can place different types of horse wagers. The most popular online bets are
- Win (the horse you bet on must come first)
- Place (the horse must finish first or second)
- Show (the horse must come either first, second, or third)
- Win Place (places a win and a place bet in one bet)
- Win Show (places a win and a show bet in one bet)
- Win Place Show (aka “across the board”; combines Win, Place, and Show into one bet)
- Exacta (you bet on horses to come first and second in that order)
- Quinella (the same as exacta, but horses can finish in any order for you to win the bet)
- Trifecta (three horses should finish first, second and third in that order)
- Superfecta (the same as trifecta but here you bet on four horses)
- Super High 5 (you have to choose the winner of five races in a row)
- Grand Slam (pick a horse to finish in the top three in three straight races, capped by the winner of the fourth race in the sequence)
- Parlays (combine multiple selections on the same ticket, even if the races aren’t in sequential order).
Banking
- Credit and Debit Cards
- ACH Bank Transfer / eCheck
- Wire Transfer
- Green Dot
- PayNearMe
- Check or Money Order
- MoneyGram
- PayPal
- By mail: Xpressbet & Hollywood Races
- Bitcoin: AmWager via BitPay
Vermont Horse Betting Overview
Vermont legalized parimutuel wagering on horse races in 1961, setting the stage for the May 1963 opening of the state’s only commercial racetrack, Green Mountain Park, in Pownal.
The track debuted as a thoroughbred track but added a winter harness meet in year two.
The track, which billed itself as the “Feelgood Track,” was beloved by locals and visitors in its heyday, offering amenities such as a rooftop restaurant, closed circuit TVs, and unlimited parking, all in the midst of Vermont’s stunning natural scenery.
Those core admirers weren’t enough to keep the track in the southwest corner of the state, near the borders with New York and Massachusetts, profitable, however. It struggled in its later years before ending thoroughbred racing in 1976 and canceling standardbred races the following year. It went on to hold dog races before taking its last breath in 1992.
The Vermont State Fair in Rutland featured parimutuel wagering on harness horse races for a time, though the beginning dates and end dates are unclear.
Other fair meets offered harness racing and may continue to do so to this day, albeit without betting.
Apart from parimutuel wagering, Vermont’s gambling laws are quite strict, with only charitable lotteries and raffles exempted from an overall ban.
Fun fact about horse racing in Vermont
The Morgan horse, one of the first equine breeds developed in the U.S., is a product of Vermont. The first Morgan horse was named Figure and was born around 1789. His owner, Justin Morgan, lent his surname to what became known as Morgan horses. The compact, refined horses are known for their versatility and are now used in both English and Western disciplines. Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, Vermont, continues to breed the horses and is open for tours.
Popular horse racing events to bet on in Vermont
- The Kentucky Derby
- Belmont Stakes
- Preakness Stakes
- Breeders’ Cup
- Royal Ascot
- Cheltenham Festival
- Travers Stakes
- Santa Anita Handicap
- Arkansas Derby
- Pacific Classic Stakes
- Haskell Invitational
- Dubai World Cup
- Melbourne Cup
- Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
- Grand National
Horse Race Tracks in Vermont
- Green Mountain Race Track (closed 1992)
- The Vermont State Fair in Rutland
Parimutuel wagering is legal at licensed racetracks in Vermont, but currently, there are no active tracks.
FAQs
Yes, you can. 18 is the minimum gambling age in Vermont.
Yes, Vermont allows horse racing betting online and through mobile apps.
The four biggest horse racing betting sites offer services to Vermontians, including TwinSpires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com, and NyraBets.com along with some smaller online operators and betting apps like 123bet or AmWager.
No, the BetMGM Horse Racing App is not allowed in Vermont.