The Montana Department of Justice is full of information about gambing in Montana.
Go to the drop down entitled Gaming Regulation www.doj.state.mt.us/
The 1998 Montana Gambling Study
A Report to the Governor and the 56th Legislature by the Gambling Study Commission
Final Report November 1998
Published by Montana Legislative Services Division
State Capitol, Room 138
Helena, MT 59620-1706
PHONE: (406) 444-3064
FAX: (406) 444-3036
Montana Legislative Branch home page
Representative Hal Grinde, Presiding Officer
Robert B. Person, Executive Director
David D. Bohyer, Research Director
Gregory J. Petesch, Legal Director
Note:The Gambling Study Commission Report links below are to Adobe PDF files. If you need an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) viewer, it is available free; clickhereto download it.The 1998 Montana Gambling Study
The Commission's Overview and Summary
Study Team's Narrative Final Report:
Chapter 1 Montana Gambling in a National and Global Context
Chapter 2 A Profile of Montana Gamblers
Chapter 3 A Profile of Montana Gambling Establishments
Chapter 4 Gambling Establishments and the Montana Economy
Chapter 5 Gambling and Taxes
Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Montana's Problem Gamblers
Chapter 7 Social Impacts of Problem Gambling
Chapter 8 Gambling and Crime
Gaming Regulation
Through the Gambling Control Division, the Department of Justice regulates all forms of gambling in Montana, except for the Montana Lottery and horse racing.
Gambling and Liquor Forms – Many licensing, permit and tax forms related to gambling and liquor licenses are available to fill out and print online. The forms necessary to buy, ship, service and test video gambling machines also are available online. However, these forms cannot be submitted online. Information about applying for a new alcoholic beverage license and/or gambling license is available as part of the Alcoholic Beverage/Gambling Operator Combined License Application.
Laws and Administrative Rules – This section provides links to relevant Montana statutes and the rules adopted by the division to carry out those statutes. It also provides information on the county permits necessary to conduct raffles and amusement games, with links to related laws and administrative rules.
Statistics and Reports – The division tracks the number of permits and licenses it issues, and the taxes it collects.
History of Gambling – A brief history of gambling from 1889 when Montana's new constitution made all forms of gambling illegal, to recent legislative action, efforts to implement an automated accounting and reporting system, and ballot measures challenging gambling.
State-Tribal Gaming Compacts – In accordance with federal law, the division supports negotiates of gaming compacts with Montana's Native American tribes to provide for gaming on Indian lands.
Gaming Advisory Council – Created in 1989, the council advises the Department of Justice on all aspects of gambling in Montana, reviews and comments on administrative rules proposed by the Gambling Control Division, and makes recommendations to the department and the legislature on gambling-related matters.
The Montana Legislature has authorized limited legal gambling in Montana. Video poker, keno and bingo machines are legal with a maximum $2 bet and $800 payout. The following live games are also authorized: raffles, bingo, keno, bridge, cribbage, hearts, panguingue, pinochle, pitch, poker, rummy, solo, whist, and shake-a-day. Sports pools, fantasy sports leagues and sports tab games are also legal. These are non-banking games in which players bet against and settle with each other rather than betting against and settling with the house.
The legal age for gambling in Montana is 18 years old, with the exception of raffles conducted by churches, schools, charitable and non-profit organizations. Children under 18 years old may participate in those activities.
Montana has more than 1,600 licensed gambling operators and locations that offer more than 17,000 video gambling machines to the public. There are legal gambling establishments in every county in the state.
Although there is no state program to assist with compulsive gambling, help is available through specialized counseling and support groups.