Legal sports betting on the horizon

The Montana Lottery Commission has given its seal of approval for the official rules governing sports betting. The regulator has also revealed the official name for sports betting in the state: Sports Bet Montana.

The new rules were approved on November 21 during a meeting of the commission. The document outlining these rules is 18 pages long.

Only business establishments that hold a gambling operator license for the sale of lottery tickets, such as casinos and bars, are able to offer sports betting once they obtain a sports betting license. People in the state can place sports wagers at these retail facilities or use one of the upcoming online sportsbooks. 

players will have the ability to set deposit, spending, and time limits on their accounts

As part of these sports betting rules, players will have the ability to set deposit, spending, and time limits on their accounts. This will help to encourage responsible gambling. There is also a list that individuals can add their names to if they want to completely exclude themselves from being able to create an online sports betting account. 

The roll-out of licenses in the state

The official sport betting regulations were part of House Bill 725 which was passed by the Montana Legislative. A publication of these rules will follow as part of the Montana Administrative Register. A public hearing is also a requirement in relation to these new rules. 

The plan is for the Montana Lottery Commission to begin accepting applications from businesses seeking sports betting licenses before the end of 2019. 

Angela Wong, a director for the Lottery Commission, spoke about the effort that has gone into pushing legal sports betting in the state forward. She said: “We’ve been working hard since May to create and build Sports Bet Montana.”

Montana sports betting under lottery’s control

The new rules state that no current players, staff members, or officials for college or pro sports in the state can place bets on any type of sport. 

The state hopes to raise tax revenue to go towards helping the Montana general fund, as well as towards funding the education system, technology, and science learning in particular. 

no current players, staff members, or officials for college or pro sports in the state can place bets on any type of sport

Sports betting will be completely under the control of the lottery. Intralot holds the lottery license, with its seven-year contract beginning in 2015.

In Montana, Intralot will control the state’s betting kiosks, which will be operating in the likes of bars.?