An estimated 1,400 Montana businesses with alcohol and gambling licenses soon will be able to apply for sports betting licenses. The Montana Lottery Commission recently unanimously approved draft rules for sports wagering, which will be offered under the brand name Sports Bet Montana. The next step will be for the secretary of state’s office to publish administrative rules in the Montana Administrative Register on December 6. Then, after businesses receive sports wagering licenses, lottery officials will install terminals and train their own staff, retailers and players how to use them. So the effective start date for sports wagering in Montana still is uncertain.
Wagering will be offered on professional and collegiate sports, however the lottery still is reviewing the types of bets that will be offered. In-game bets, over-under and parlays are expected to be approved, according to a spokeswoman.
In 2019, the state legislature passed a bill authorizing sports wagering in licensed establishments. Players can download an app on their cellphone to create a sports wagering account, however, wagers can be placed only within a licensed location. Bets also can be made at kiosks inside licensed locations. Players also will be able to set limits on their accounts to establish spending, deposit and time-based limits.
Lottery officials said the rules follow the intent of the legislature. They piggyback on the state’s alcohol licensing system to make sure sports betting licenses, like alcohol licenses, are distributed across the state and not concentrated in certain areas.
Lottery Security Director Bryan Costigan said lottery officials met with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to explain how coaches or officials can utilize self-exclusion. “We’re providing them with the tools,” Costigan said.
Earlier in the year, Montana Governor Steve Bullock vetoed a bill that would have allowed sports betting in the commercial market, and signed House Bill 725 allowing lottery-regulated sports betting.
The Montana Lottery already offers fantasy football and fantasy racing, but not direct wagering on an event’s outcome. Select retailers can take bets of up to $100 on fantasy teams.
