Vermont Liquor & Lottery warns of declining spirits sales, adjusts sports‑wagering revenue forecast

Wendy Knight, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery, briefed the House Committee on Government Operations & Military Affairs on the department’s structure, recent revenue figures and the first months of the state’s online sports‑wagering program.

The department “runs enterprise funds,” Knight said, explaining the agency manages the Vermont Lottery enterprise fund and the Division of Liquor Control enterprise fund and recently became the regulatory agency for online sports wagering. She told the committee the Vermont Lottery ended fiscal year 2024 with about $169 million in ticket sales and that roughly $35 million was transferred to the state education fund. On the liquor side, Knight reported roughly “102,000,000 816,000” in liquor‑control revenues as stated to the committee; she said most of that amount derives from sales at the state’s spirit stores (referred to in testimony as “802 spirit stores”).

Why it matters: the department has a dual mission—generate revenue that supports the general and education funds while overseeing public‑safety work including…