Online Gambling License in Montana

The Montana Gambling Control Division is an agency of the Montana Department of Justice (DOJ), and it’s the state’s main authority for regulating most gambling activities. Apart from the Montana Lottery, horse racing, and sports betting, the Montana Gambling Control Division monitors all the remaining forms of gambling.

As part of the state DOJ, the Gambling Control Division works in concert with other department agencies, such as the Office of Consumer Protection and the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, to regulate gambling.

The Montana Board of Horse Racing, which is part of the state Department of Commerce, is responsible for the horse racing industry, including aspects related to gambling, such as Parimutuel Betting, as stated in n Title 2, Chapter 15, and Title 23, Chapter 4 of the Montana Code. On the other hand, the Montana Lottery handles public policy pertaining to lotteries.

The Gambling Control Division was sanctioned by the Montana legislature, which deemed it necessary to establish an agency to consolidate gaming regulations and create a legal gambling environment. Two important sections of the GCD are the License and Tax Section and the Compliance Section.

The board consists of 9 council members, an investigation bureau chief, a supervisor in charge of licensing, and a testing lab supervisor.

Types of Gambling Regulated by the Montana Gambling Control Division

The Montana Gambling Control Division regulates the following types of gambling:

Poker and Other Card Games

Licensed operators in Montana that hold a permit to provide at least 1 on-premise table card game can apply for a permit to host high-stakes card tournaments, like poker. The Montana Gambling Control Division also allows nonprofits, and only nonprofits, to host Casino Nights.

Nonprofits allowed to host Casino Nights can promote a range of games, including live poker, keno, bingo, and raffles. Among the variants of poker, the MGC allows Texas Hold ’em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud, and Draw Poker. Approved operators can host both large- and small-stakes card tournaments.

The type of card games the GCD allows besides these include any other poker variations, such as:

• Bridge
• Cribbage
• Hearts
• Panguingue
• Pinochle
• Pitch
• Rummy
• Solo
• Whis

The GCD’s section on card games explicitly states that only the listed games are permitted. By assumption, all others (roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps) are prohibited.

Video Gambling Machines

The GCD enables licensed operators to offer multiple types of video gambling machines (VGM). The games and machines must be pre-approved and tested to ensure they deliver random outcomes. VGM operators can provide video poker games, video line games, video keno games, and video bingo games.

At its discretion, the Montana Gambling Control Board can ask licensed gambling providers who host such machines to provide specific information, including source code, schematics, the written form of the random number generator (RNG) code, a memory map, and more details related to the machines’ infrastructure and functionality.

Promotional Games of Chance

In accordance with Title 23, Chapter 5 of the Montana Code, the DOJ’s Gambling Control Division can approve promotional and chance-based devices, apparatuses, machines, and activities.

The ‘promotional’ qualifier indicates that the games of chance offer certain rewards to patrons without requesting said patrons to pay an entry fee or pay for goods or services in order to participate. The activities involving promotional games of chance must not be deemed ‘gambling’ according to Montana law. Cash prizes must not be larger than $100. The operator hosting the activity can also offer ‘predesignated’ non-monetary prizes.

Sports Pools and Sports Tab Games

The Gambling Control Division doesn’t regulate or oversee mobile and online sports betting in Montana. Mobile/online sports betting is available only via the Montana Lottery, with Sports Bet Montana being the only legal digital sportsbook in the state powered by the Montana Lottery.

The GCD, on the other hand, regulates in-person sports pools and sports tab games. Some of the types of sports pools the GCD allows are:

• Traditional sports pools
• Series sports pools
• Multiple-way sports pools
• Multiple competitor sports pool
• Weekly sweepstakes sports pool
• Selected point sports pools
• Blackout sports pool

Fantasy Sports Leagues

Another form of gambling sanctioned by the Gambling Control Division is the Fantasy Sports League. The operator providing this service can award fantasy sports league participants select prizes (cash or merchandise) and must provide members with detailed information about the rules of fantasy sports league gambling.

The fantasy sports league wagering must take place at a licensed and permitted establishment. The Montana Code strictly forbids fantasy sports league wagering via phone or the internet, as per Title 23, Chapter 5, Part 8 of the Montana Code (Annotated).

Keno, Bingo, & Raffles

Licensed establishments can offer live keno and electronic live bingo, for which they need a manufacturer’s license. The electronic bingo and keno equipment must only include live bingo or keno as defined in Title 23, chapter 5, part 4 of the Montana Code (Annotated). Among the many requirements, the keno and bingo equipment and devices must use a random number generator algorithm and display a manufacturer identification tag.

The terms for raffles are quite intricate. For instance, operators cannot collect entry fees larger than 50 cents daily, and may not collect entry fees or award prizes larger than $500 for daily pot raffles. Electronic 50/50 raffle systems are subject to tests and testing fees, where the operator of the raffle must pay $1,000 to start testing, alongside a $130 hourly fee to the department.

Montana Gambling Control Division Regulatory Framework

The Montana Gambling Control Division (GCD) is part of the state DOJ but operates independently. It provides permits, licenses, and guidance for legal gaming to operators and patrons. The GCD regulates land-based poker games, card game tournaments, bingo, raffles, sports pools, video game machines, and promotional games of chance.

However, the GCD does not oversee horse racing. That is managed by the Montana Board of Horse Racing. Sports betting and the lottery are regulated by the Montana Lottery.

The GCD’s License and Tax Section works with the Montana Department of Revenue to review applications for alcoholic beverage and gambling licenses. This section also collects taxes and fees and issues licenses, including permits for video gambling machines.

The Compliance Section conducts background checks on applicants, while the Testing Lab/Technical Services Section performs criminal investigations and technical checks on all gambling machines in the state.

Montana law requires all businesses offering gambling activities—such as video gaming machines, sports pool boards, and live card games—to obtain an alcoholic beverage license and the necessary permits.

FAQs about the Montana Gambling Control Division