Montana Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division
By guest blogger, Angela Nunn, Administrator for the Gambling Control Division of the Montana Department of Justice. Raising money is critically important for nonprofit organizations. Fundraising takes many shapes, but often involves an element of gambling. Due to the volunteer nature of these organizations, man. Montana department of justice Leoal Services Division. Division of Criminal Investigation. Highway Patrol Division. Forensic Science Division Gambling Control Division. Motor Vehicle Division. Information Technology Services Division. Central Services Division. PENALTIES FOR CIVIL VIOLATION ISSUED BY DEPARTMENT: REP 7/1/1989: Subchapter 20 Manufacturers of Gambling Devices Not Legal in Montana: MANUFACTURER OF ILLEGAL GAMBLING DEVICES - LICENSE - FEE - REPORTING REQUIREMENTS - INSPECTION OF RECORDS - REPORTS: 9/6/2013: Rules and reserved.
- Montana Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division
- Montana Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Department
- Montana Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Address
- Montana Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Online
HELENA – Proposed legislation was heard at the Capitol which would legalize sports gambling in the state of Montana.
The Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee heard Senate Bill 330, the Montana Sports Betting Act on Tuesday.
Bill sponsor Sen. Mark Blasdel (R-Kalispell) said sports betting in the state is already happening and needs to be regulated.
“This is already something that is happening with a lot of folks,” said Blasdel, “unfortunately it’s in the black market now. This would set it up so you would have the Department of Justice overseeing it to try to track who’s operating these and collect some tax revenue off of it as well.”
SB330 would require bettors to go through a state-authorized sportsbook operator or platform operator in order to make a sports bet.
Operators would need to be licensed through the Montana Department of Justice Gambling Control Division and would be under the same scrutiny as any vendor that currently offers gambling.
SB330 would only legalize betting on professional, collegiate and Olympic sports. Betting on high school or other unauthorized amateur sports would not be permitted.
Sports bets are allowed on mobile devices but can only be placed inside the premises of a licensed gambling activity within the state. The current language of the bill requires locations to employ geolocation technology to ensure the bets only happen in a licensed establishment.
While there were no direct opponents to SB330, some speakers at the hearing did express their concerns about the geolocation technology.
Lobbyists said the technology is too expensive and restrictive arguing mobile sports betting should be allowed anywhere people have a phone.
John Iverson of the Montana Tavern Association stated sports betting needs to be kept to authorized locations. Iverson said by doing so it will help create economic opportunity for businesses.
“If you look at the total tax on this bill to the taverns it’s not significant,” said Iverson. “If we pass this bill it will give a boost in the arm to a lot of small towns across the state of Montana.”
Blasdel would also like to see sports betting stay in authorized gambling locations.
“Part of it is certainly the economic driver,” explained Blasdel, “If not that we want to make sure at least the bettors have to go in a put the money in their account in the taverns. That way you don’t have somebody sitting at home– they have to make that trip and can’t just keep betting.”
If SB330 does become law it would not take effect until June 1, 2020, to allow Gambling Control Division to be prepared for the new form of betting.
According to the Gambling Control Division, before betting can take place staff will need to be trained on sports betting, sportsbook software will need to be tested and administrative rules will need to be drafted.
SB330 would create four new positions within the Gambling Control Division that would be paid for by the taxes generated by statewide gambling.
Sports betting had previously been illegal nationwide until the United States Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-3, overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act on May 14 of last year. That decision made it possible for individual states to create and regulate their own sports betting.
Introduction to Montana Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Montana slot machine casino gambling consists of eight tribal casinos with video games of skill (Class II) or games-of-chance (Class III) as well as video gaming machines (VGMs) at numerous bars and taverns
Theoretical return limits exist for Montana’s bars and taverns having video gaming machines (VGMs) but not for Montana’s tribal casinos. No actual return statistics are publicly available from either.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Montana*
The minimum legal gambling age in Montana does not depend upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 18
- Poker Rooms: 18
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
Commercial businesses must have an alcoholic beverages license to have up to 20 video gaming machines (VGM). Most locations are bars and taverns, but may also be laundry mats, truck stops, and other small businesses. The maximum bet on VGMs is $2 while the maximum payout is $800.
Montana collects a 15% tax on business income from video gaming machines. For fiscal year 2019, the tax collections for VGMs was $63 million toward the state general fund.
Each state-tribal gaming compact describes:
- How many machines each tribal casino can offer.
- Whether they will have Class II bingo-style games-of-skill or Class III Vegas-style games-of-chance gaming machines.
- Maximum bet and maximum award limits.
Specifically, for the seven federally-recognized tribes in Montana:
- Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
- 2012 compact allows up to 750 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
- Maximum bet and payout: $10 and $2,500 for regular gaming machines
- 20% of machines may be high stakes with $50 bets and $5,000 payouts
- Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
- No existing tribal-state compact
- Offers only Class II bingo-style gaming machines
- Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation
- 2012 compact allows up to 750 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
- Maximum wagers on all machines is $10
- Maximum payouts are $3,000 on up to 500 machines
- Maximum payouts are $5,000 on up to 250 machines
- Crow Tribe of the Crow Indian Reservation
- 2014 compact allows up to 925 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
- Two-thirds may be regular stakes with maximum $10 bet and $3,000 payout
- One-third may be high stakes with maximum $50 bet and $5,000 payout
- Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
- 2007 compact allows up to 400 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
- All machines have a maximum bet of $5 and a maximum payout of $2,000
- Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation
- 2013 compact allows up to 750 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
- Maximum payouts are $3,000 on all gaming machines
- Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation
- No existing tribal-state compact
- Offers only Class II bingo-style gaming machines
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Montana
Slot machines owned in Montana privately if they are at least 30 years old.
Montana Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division
Gaming Control Board in Montana
Montana’s gaming control board is its Gambling Control Division within the Montana Department of Justice. Further, Montana has a Gaming Advisory Council (GAC) which also reports to the Justice Department. The GAC advises the state legislature on public policy matters related to gaming every two years with its Biennial Report.
Casinos in Montana
There are eight American Indian tribal casinos and many bars and taverns with slot machines in Montana.
The largest casino in Montana is Gray Wolf Peak Casino with 307 gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Glacier Peaks Hotel & Casino with 300 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in Montana
There are 1,309 bars and taverns in Montana having a total of 16,883 video gaming machines (VGMs). Each licensed retailer can have up to a maximum of 20 VGMs, although eight of these businesses have only a single VGM.
Tribal Casinos in Montana
Montana has eight tribal casinos:
- Charging Horse Casino & Bingo in Lame Deer located 342 miles east of Helena.
- Fort Belknap Casino in Harlem located 46 miles west of Malta.
- Glacier Peaks Hotel & Casino in Browning located 126 miles northwest of Great Falls.
- Gray Wolf Peak Casino in Missoula located 113 miles west of Helena.
- KwaTaqNuk Casino Resort in Polson located 182 miles northwest of Helena.
- Northern Winz Hotel & Casino in Box Elder located 89 miles northeast of Great Falls.
- Northern Winz II Casino in Box Elder located 89 miles northeast of Great Falls.
- Silverwolf Casino in Wolf Point located 320 miles east of Great Falls.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Montana slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Montana is:
- North: Canadian Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan
- East: North Dakota Slots and South Dakota Slots
- South: Wyoming Slots
- West: Idaho Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Montana.
Our Montana Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Montana? If so, join our new Montana slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Montana. Join us!
Payout Returns in Montana
Video gaming machines in Montana’s bars and taverns have a minimum theoretical payout limit of 80% for video slot machines, video bingo, video keno, and video poker. Further, video slot machines have a maximum theoretical payout limit of 92%.
No limits on payout returns have been set for Montana tribes, with one slight exception. The Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation have their negotiated tribal-state compact which states that slot machines designed and developed for exclusive use by the tribe do not have legal minimum and maximum payout return limits.
However, game themes used in other gaming jurisdictions must have the same maximum theoretical payout return limit of 92% for video slots in Montana’s commercial bars and taverns.
Actual return statistics for gaming machines in Montana, whether commercial or tribal, are not publicly available.
Summary of Montana Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Montana slot machine casino gambling consists of eight tribal casinos in addition to 1,309 small businesses having 16,883 video slots, video keno, video bingo, and video poker gaming machines.
Commercial video gaming machines have a minimum theoretical payout return of 80% and, for video slot machines only, a maximum theoretical payout of 92%. Tribal casinos have no theoretical payout limits except for the Chippewa Cree Tribe which has a maximum theoretical payout of 92% for their non-exclusive slot machine game themes.
Annual Progress in Montana Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Montana Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Department
Over the last year, there has been little change in the slots gaming industry in Montana.
Montana Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Address
Related Articles from Professor Slots
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: Missouri Slot Machine Casino Gambling
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Montana Department Of Justice Gambling Control Division Online
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