There isn’t a Vermont poker room that offers games. However, you can find Hold’em and Omaha cash games and tournaments if you’re willing to travel. Let’s investigate the live poker options for players in The Green Mountain State.
There is currently no live poker in Vermont. However, you can play poker in New York State at some of the best cardrooms in the US.
When you step into the Resorts World Catskills poker room, you’re entering one of the largest poker rooms in New York State. With 19 tables, this room is a poker player’s paradise.
It offers a variety of cash games that cater to all levels of play. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, you’re sure to find a game that suits your skill level and budget.
Limit and No Limit Texas Hold’em cash games rule the cardroom at Resorts World Catskills. There are lots of promotions throughout the week too, including Splash Pots ($150 is added to the pot every 30 minutes) and high-hand jackpots. All the while, you can watch sports on one of 13 HD TVs.
Cash games aren’t the only thing you can play at Resorts World. The casino runs Hold’em Megastack tournaments too where you can start the game with up to 100,000 chips.
The Resorts World Catskills poker room also offers a loyalty scheme. The more you play, the more points you earn, which can be redeemed for a variety of rewards. It’s a great way to get something back for your play and adds an extra incentive to keep coming back.
Turning Stone Resort in New York boasts a poker room that stands out as a premier destination for Hold’em players across Vermont, NY, and beyond. With 32 tables available, Turning Stone has the largest cardroom in New York State.
You can track tournaments on the Bravo Poker app. And you’ll need to, as Turning Stone runs a raft of live tournaments throughout the month. The $100–$150 freezeouts ensure that casual players are well-catered to all the time.
In addition to regular games, Turning Stone has plenty of big tourneys on its calendar. The East Coast Poker Championship, New York Poker Classic, and $100,000-GTD October Poker Weekend attract competition from across the state.
Cash game players are also well-serviced at Turning Stone. Hold’em, Stud, and PLO are all available, and straddles are actively encouraged. Look out too for lots of cash game promotions, including high-hand bonuses and splash pots.
The room’s bad-beat jackpot is particularly popular, providing an extra layer of excitement as you compete not only for the pot but also for the chance to win a significant jackpot should your strong hand be beaten by an even stronger one.
The resort’s loyalty scheme, known as TS Rewards, is another notable feature. Every time you play, you earn points that can be redeemed for a variety of perks, including dining, entertainment, and spa services. This provides an additional incentive for players to return.
Tioga Downs Casino in New York is home to a poker room that operates from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday.
There are only six tables in the cardroom, but all popular variants are represented. You can play Hold’em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, and even 5-Card Stud at the tables.
In addition to the regular cash game action, look out for special promotions such as the high-hand jackpot. Tournaments are pitched at the $125–$150 level, so the buy-ins cater to all wallets.
In addition to the games and tournaments, Tioga Downs also operates a rewards club for its players. The Tioga Rewards Club rewards regular players with points that can be redeemed for various perks and benefits. This feature enhances the overall experience at the poker room, providing an additional incentive for players to return.
For example, you can earn free concert tickets, hotel room upgrades, free play offers, and free meal vouchers. No wonder the Tioga Rewards Club is one of the hottest tickets in town.
Rivers Casino Schenectady in New York houses a poker room that is open to enthusiasts around the clock, seven days a week.
The poker room at Rivers Casino Schenectady offers a variety of games to cater to diverse player preferences. Texas Hold’em and Omaha are among the variants available, providing an opportunity to engage in the style of poker that best suits your skills and strategy.
In addition to regular games, the poker room features a bad-beat jackpot. This unique offering adds an element of intrigue to the game, as the jackpot progressively grows until a player meets the specific losing criteria. Bonus payouts are made for hitting quads or better.
There is a small number of tournaments held at Rivers Casino & Resort. The $10,000-GTD Hold’em games are great for some midweek tourney action. Plus, you can put your play toward earning points in the Rush Rewards Club.
If you’ve played online games in states like Pennsylvania, you may be aware of the Rush rewards schemes. The company runs one of the best tiered rewards programs around, and it offers plenty of perks including discounted rooms, dining offers, and table games match play.
del Lago Resort is the place to go in New York State if you want hourly high-hand jackpots and one of the best promotion funds around. It’s open from 9 a.m. daily and stays open until 4 a.m. on weekends.
The cardroom at del Lago houses 14 tables and spreads Limit/No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and 7-Card Stud.
The high-hand jackpot is worth $200 every half-hour on Fridays, with a minimum hand requirement of deuces full to qualify. There’s a special high-hand jackpot every hour on Saturdays too. You must have a del Lago rewards card to qualify for the pot.
Another word on that del Lago rewards club. As a member, you can earn points for each game you play, which can then be redeemed for perks, such as birthday bonuses and prize draw tickets.
The Poker Promotional Fund is approved by the New York State Gaming Commission. del Lago takes up to $3 from the pot when it reaches $10 or more. It’s a replacement for the bad-beat jackpot, which has now been discontinued.
Looking for alternatives to a Vermont poker room? These are the best live poker options in neighboring New York State where you can play cash games and tournaments.
| Cardroom Name | Address | City | Phone Number |
| Turning Stone Resort Casino | 5218 Patrick Rd, Verona, NY 13478 | Verona | 1-315-361-7711 |
| Tioga Downs Casino Resort | 2384 W. River Road, PO Box 509, Nichols NY 13812 | Nichols | 1-607-699-7588 |
| Resorts World Catskills | 888 Resorts World Dr, Monticello, NY 12701 | Monticello | 1-833-586-9358 |
| Del Lago Resort & Casino | 1133 NY-414, Waterloo, NY 13165 | Waterloo | 1-315-946-1777 |
| Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady | 1 Rush Street, Schenectady, NY 12305 | Schenectady | 1-518-579-8800 |
The largest cardroom options near Vermont are all situated in New York. Here is our pick of the best for cash game players and tournament fans.
| Cardroom Name | Games Offered | Number of Tables | Major Events |
| Turning Stone Resort Casino | Hold’em, Omaha, bounties, progressive cash games, high-hand giveaways | 32 | $100,000-Guaranteed October Poker Weekend, WSOP Circuit |
| Tioga Downs Casino Resort | Texas Hold’em (Limit/No Limit), Omaha Hi & Hi-Lo (Limit/Pot Limit), 5-Card Stud, 7-Card Stud (Hi & Hi-Lo), high hands, $125 tournament | 6 | n/a |
| Resorts World Catskills | Hold’em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha, $1/$2 No Limit cash, $3/$6 Limit cash, bad-beat jackpots, splash pots | 19 | $100,000-GTD NLHE |
| Del Lago Resort & Casino | Limit/No Limit Hold’em, PLO, 7-Card Stud | 14 | n/a |
| Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady | Hold’em, Omaha, High-Hand Giveaway | 16 | $10K-GTD NLHE |
Every Vermont poker room is situated in a casino with a hotel attached. Rooms and suites are available across the board.
| Casino Name | Number of Rooms |
| Turning Stone Resort Casino | 268 |
| Tioga Downs Casino Resort | 160 |
| Resorts World Catskills | 330 |
| Del Lago Resort & Casino | 205 |
| Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady | 160 |
You may be looking for a while if you want to find a legal Vermont poker room. The Vermont gambling laws are quite clear: all professional gambling is prohibited in the state. That means there are no games of chance where you can win real money, and that includes poker.
The rules are laid out by the Department of Liquor and Lottery. Only non-profit charitable gambling is permitted under Vermont law.
Non-profits can operate games of chance such as Vermont bingo and poker. Prizes are quite limited, but organizations can award up to $5,000 per month.
Elsewhere, the Vermont Lottery is legal for over-18s. This is regulated by the Vermont Lottery Commission.
The rules on online gaming go back to the Federal Wire Wager Act. This effectively banned online games of chance, including poker.
Despite the relaxation of the rules on a federal level, Vermont has resisted the urge to regulate any poker sites. For now, UIGEA very much rules over VT gaming law.
There could be a way forward for Vermont’s traditionally strict gambling laws. In June 2023, Gov. Phil Scott signed HB 127 into law. The new legislation makes online sports betting legal. You must be 21 or over to place bets, and the first sportsbooks could go live in 2024.
The list of Vermont casinos contains not a single resort or cardroom. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your fix of Hold’em and Omaha. New York casinos over the border offer Hold’em, Omaha, and mixed games galore.
Hold’em is the most popular variant of poker in New York and Vermont. Cash games are played as Limit or No Limit, the latter format being used for all tournaments.
Vermont live poker rooms offer Pot Limit Omaha as a cash game, but some of the series may contain one or two Omaha tournaments. It’s a 4-card variation of Hold’em where you must use any two of your cards (plus any three community cards) to make the best hand.
Live poker in Vermont isn’t complete without some Stud games. Casinos in New York offer not only 7-Card Stud but the shorter 5-Card Stud version too. Games are normally played with a Limit betting structure.
Vermont live poker rooms offer a great blend of cash game action and tournaments. You can even earn loyalty points every time you play poker.
You can find a full cash game roster at every Vermont poker room. $1/$2 is the lowest stakes for NLHE, rising to $3/$6 and higher for Limit games.
You can also play Stud: 7-Card Stud is available at a few cardrooms, while Tioga Downs spreads 5-Card Stud too.
In tournaments, you receive chips in return for a set buy-in. Some tourneys at a Vermont poker room are re-buys, meaning you can buy back in if you run out of chips.
In a bounty tournament, you win cash for every player you knock out. Resorts World Catskills offers mystery bounty prizes as part of its tournaments. At Turning Stone, a third of your buy-in goes toward bounties, while the remainder is added to the prizepool.
Vermont poker tournaments are more than just $100 freezeouts at the local casino. Neighboring New York State has cardrooms with the space to host some of the biggest tours in the world.
The WSOP Circuit travels the country, hosting friendly-priced poker tournaments in casinos and cardrooms. New York State near Vermont has hosted recent WSOP-C events, with schedules featuring up to a dozen different tournaments.
Most tournaments on the WSOP Circuit have mid-priced buy-ins, such as the $400 Double Stack with a $25,000 guarantee. The Main Event is always priced at $1,700, and the guaranteed prizepool is $500,000.
The WSOPC isn’t the only big game in town when it comes to Vermont poker rooms. Some of the larger cardrooms run their guarantees, including the Turning Stone $100,000-GTD NLHE tournament. Download the Bravo Poker app and keep an eye on all upcoming special events.
Every Vermont poker room offers some kind of rewards program. You start by signing up for a reward card, then play poker to earn loyalty points. The more points you earn, the more benefits you can claim.
Player cards aren’t just restricted to poker, either: at New York casinos, you can play slots, table games, or keno to earn points. Most of the best perks center around free hotel stays and food: there isn’t much in the way of free poker play.
That said, you can also enjoy lots of promotions when you play poker. New York cardrooms run bad-beat jackpots, high-hand jackpots, and cash giveaways during the week.
Read our guides to learn more about online gambling in Vermont:
It’s a felony in Vermont to earn money playing poker professionally in the state. However, you will be liable for federal income tax if you win money paying in New York. Check out our full online gambling tax guide for more information.
The situation will change when Vermont sportsbooks are launched in 2024. This should test the legal waters in The Green Mountain State for anyone wanting to make a living gambling online.
Vermont has a flexible personal income tax rate of 3.35–8.75%. The amount you pay depends on your circumstances. As for gambling over the border in New York, you’ll be eligible for federal tax if your poker winnings are above the $1,200 threshold.
The casino will present you with a Form W-2G after a tournament or cash session. They will inform the IRS and withhold income tax on your behalf. It’s up to you to record all your profits (minus gambling losses) when you come to file your return.
No. Live poker in Vermont has not been legalized, nor are there casinos in the state offering games. However, you are free to cross the border to states like New York to enjoy cash games and tournaments. Browse the US gambling laws by state for more information.
There are no cardrooms or casinos in Vermont. The state has outlawed land-based casinos, so your best option is to play over the border at cardrooms in New York State.
The Department of Liquor and Lottery is responsible for overseeing gaming in Vermont. They will regulate newly legalized online sportsbooks when they go live in 2024. Read our US state and federal gaming commission directory for more information.
No. Vermont has not legalized online poker games. However, you can access some offshore poker rooms that run cash games, tournaments, and promotions.
Vermont has a strict over-18 policy for playing the lottery or charitable bingo and pull-tab games. However, you must be 21 or over to play poker at New York cardrooms. Read more on the minimum gambling age in our guide.
Poker rooms in New York have a casual dress code throughout the week. You can wear shorts and shirts, but trousers may be required in some VIP areas.
Cardrooms in neighboring New York State are open from around 9 a.m. until the small hours. Only the largest cardrooms in NY stay open 24 hours.
No. Most games of chance are banned in Vermont unless you can prove you are raising money for charity and not making a profit. The rules are laid out on the Vermont Attorney General’s website.
You might be liable for gambling tax on poker winnings if you win over $1,200 at a New York cardroom. Personal income tax in Vermont works on a sliding scale, and it only applies if you are a professional gambler living outside the state.
Yes. The Vermont Lottery Office provides a national helpline number for gambling addicts at 1-800-522-4700. Read more on responsible gambling with our guide.
Steve Landfish is the most successful poker pro from Vermont with over $820,000 in career tournament winnings. He has scored multiple cashes at the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour during his career.
Cardrooms outside New York run cash games that charge rake on eligible pots. The player pays a small fee on the total pot if it reaches the minimum threshold. This is usually 5–10% of the total pot, up to a maximum of $5 to $10.
No. Freerolls are restricted to online poker rooms that offer welcome bonuses and play-money tables. Freerolls are special tournaments that don’t cost a dime to enter. You can win real money by playing freerolls, which is guaranteed by the poker site.
Yes. Casinos outside Vermont run loyalty programs where you can earn and redeem player points from cash games and tournaments. You may redeem your points for bonuses, comped hotel rooms, and free meals.
No. There are no laws in the pipeline to build any legal and regulated casinos in Vermont. However, Vermont has legalized online sports betting, which could open the way for regulated poker sites and gaming in the future.
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