Synopsis: On this page we will look at the various forms of gambling in the state of Montana, discuss the legality of online gambling and provide a detailed list of all commercial and tribal casinos in the state.
Montana is popularly referred to as “The Land of the Endless Sky,” “The Best Place from the End,” and “The Treasure State.” It is known for its small
population, impressive mountains and vastness. The state has long been beloved by those seeking solitude and communion with nature. The state will also appeal to those who want to get rich quick: several forms of legal gambling are available here – https://www.gamblemastery.com/usa/montana/.
The legality of online gambling in Montana
Montana is one of the strictest states, if not the strictest, in terms of online gambling laws. They provide a scale of fines based on the amount won, and strictly define penalties for players and operators. Such a law is better not to be trifled with.
Nevertheless, we have not been able to find a single case where anyone has been prosecuted for playing online as a mere player. To begin with, how does the state even know about the fact of gaming? I’d also like to think that law enforcement has better things to do than watch what you do or don’t do in your own home.
Traditional casinos in Montana
Licensed and regulated “Casinos” in Montana can offer up to twenty slot machines, including video poker, video keno and slot machines. The maximum allowed wager for any type of machine is $2, and the maximum jackpot payout is $800. There is no point in describing each such casino individually, because they are essentially all like bars with multiple machines. So we’d rather talk about the state’s tribal casinos:
Legal sports betting in Montana
In 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was passed in the United States. It was supposed to give some legal status to sports betting. This piece of legislation, also known as the “Bradley Act,” went a long way toward making sports betting illegal in most of the country.
There were exceptions, however. Licensed sports pools were allowed in Nevada, and sports lotteries were allowed in Montana, Delaware, and Oregon. States with long-standing casinos at the time the law was passed were given a one-year deadline to legalize sports betting, but none of the states did so.
While the federal government does not consider sports betting illegal in Montana, the state government outlaws it. They have long since severed their relationship with this sort of hobby. And even online companies are banned from offering online betting within the state’s borders.
Poker Rooms in Montana
In addition to casino-type games, residents and visitors to the state can enjoy a game of poker. Omaha, Stud, or even Texas Hold’em. Most poker rooms in the state are quite small, often with just one table. But if you can’t wait to play poker, one table will suffice.
Montana Horse Racing Sweepstakes
Horse racing is legal in Montana, but races are only held a few days a year due to lack of public interest. In 2019, a bill was passed that allowed racetracks to offer betting machines for past races, which was supposed to help boost revenue for the establishments, as the industry as a whole is struggling in the state. Dog racing is banned in the state of Montana.
Betting on off-track broadcasts is legal in the state. They are accepted (as of this writing) at six locations, and you can see them here.
You’ll see that none of these locations are actual racetracks because the state’s two active racetracks are only open on live racing days. And there were only two such events scheduled for 2019 (each for a few days).
Montana State Lottery
The Montana State Lottery originated in 1986. It offers residents and visitors to the state “wipe and win” tickets as well as a number of raffles. The minimum age to participate is 18. Since its inception, the lottery has paid out more than $300 million in winnings to participants in various games. Through participation in the Federal Lottery Association, Montana is able to offer tickets to some popular national raffles.
The Lottery’s latest annual report is available for fiscal year 2017 and can be viewed here.
In the report, we see that the Montana Lottery sold tickets totaling $52,441
929, of which $31,044,840 was paid out to players in prizes. Thus, the total return to the player is 59.2%. This figure is largely due to the ratio of raffle tickets sold to “wipe and win” tickets. Wipe and win tickets don’t pay out any better, though the return to player for them is 61.4%. That figure is one of the worst we have ever seen.
Montana participates in the federal Powerball and Mega Millions games. With a population of 1.062 million, the average resident spending on the lottery is $49.38 and the average loss per resident is about . (vistex.com) 23. These numbers are pretty low compared to other states. However, they are due to the popularity and availability of micro-casinos, which are scattered throughout the state.
