MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A committee shaped by the Vermont Legislature desires lawmakers to pursue legalizing sports activities betting by means of a state-controlled market.

In a draft report accomplished Tuesday, the 2022 Sports Betting Study Committee unanimously discovered that such a regulated market would usher in state income, though the report doesn’t estimate how a lot cash sports activities betting might usher in.

The authorized market would additionally present shoppers with a safer and safer product, together with funds for accountable gaming and to offer assets to assist drawback gamblers, the report mentioned.

It is now as much as the Legislature, which can convene early subsequent month, to determine whether or not to legalize sports activities betting within the state.

The committee was created by the Legislature earlier this yr as a result of lawmakers felt sports activities betting is already widespread in Vermont.

On Tuesday, Democratic House Speaker Jill Krowinski mentioned she hadn’t seen the report, however lawmakers have beforehand had issues a few lack of protections for potential playing addicts.

“I need to see a lot more data and have a better understanding of what we can do to make it safe and have really strong guardrails,” she mentioned.

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed sports betting. After the choice, some states reminiscent of West Virginia and New Jersey have been fast to legalize it and set up a regulatory construction whereas others like Massachusetts took a number of years to work it out.

Now greater than 30 states enable sports activities betting, together with neighboring New York and New Hampshire.

Since there is no such thing as a regulated gaming in Vermont, reminiscent of casinos or racetracks, the committee really useful that the Department of Liquor and Lottery ought to be the state’s regulatory authority.

One key advice from the nine-member committee is that it ought to be managed by a non-public operator or operators that might be chosen by means of a aggressive bidding course of.

The division would even have the Department of Mental Health administer drawback playing providers in addition to research drawback playing.

The committee, which met a number of occasions since April and held a public listening to, feels the most suitable choice for Vermont is to first open the sports activities wagering market with cell and on-line wagering. The division would then decide if retail, or on-site betting, might be viable in sure places.