Montana

Montana is not a big state, but that hasn't stopped it from offering one of the biggest retail sports betting scenes in the country. The most distinguished sportsbook brands and their apps cannot be found in MT, but the state is bordering on over 100 retail betting sites.

Montana does not have any restrictions for wagering on professional and collegiate sports. While MT has no professional sports teams, it has popular in-state colleges, and residents have free reign to wager on them. While betting on pro and collegiate sports is available, using daily fantasy sports apps is prohibited due to MCA 23-5-802.

Outside of daily fantasy sports apps, residents also do not have the option to bet on politics or eSports. As far as racing goes, Montana bettors can legally wager on horse racing and greyhound racing, both of which are very popular in the Treasure State.

Online sports betting in The Treasure State

Sports betting bills are like snowflakes. They all look the same from afar, but when examined, they are all drastically different. Montana is one of those states with drastically different sports betting legislation from the rest of the states that have legalized it. While MT is nowhere close to being one of the most populated states, it still has over 100 retail betting locations and only one mobile betting app.

Two bills related to sports betting emerged in Montana in 2019. One of them, SB 330, would have allowed tavern owners to open sports betting kiosks if they applied for a permit. This bill also would allow mobile sports betting, but it would only allow it to take place in these taverns.

The other bill was HB 725, which called for the state lottery to regulate sports betting, creating a monopoly. Under HB 725, mobile sports betting would only be allowed inside licensed facilities, so Governor Steve Bullock had to decide whether to let the state's sports betting scene be a competition or a monopoly.

In the end, Bullock would elect for HB 725, and since then, the state has remained complacent with its legislation. This removed competition from the sports betting market and allowed all lottery retailers in the state to offer sports betting. Only one mobile betting app, Sports Bet Montana, is legally permitted to operate in the state, but that comes with restrictions.

Residents can download Sports Bet Montana and even deposit money into the app from their homes. Still, when it comes time to place a wager, a bettor must be physically present at a licensed retail betting location.

Sports betting & gambling legislation in MT

Whether a resident wants to participate in the lottery or place a legal sports wager in Montana, they must be at least 18 years old. Montana is one of the few states remaining with a legal gambling age under 21. The Treasure State also restricts how much a resident can bet on a single wager. The maximum a customer can bet in person is $250, but if they are at a licensed retail betting location, they may also wager up to $1,000 if they use their mobile device.

The Montana Lottery regulates those rules and regulations. For taxes, the lottery will withhold 6.9% of all gambling winnings over $5,000 for state tax, in addition to the 24% federal tax, which remains the same for all states.

The current legislation also does not allow for the legalization of online casinos. As long as a monopoly exists for sports betting and mobile betting remains restricted, we will unlikely see iGaming or online poker legalized in MT. This leaves DFS apps and the lottery as the only other gambling options in the state outside of sports betting, social sportsbooks, and retail casinos.

Most recent updates from the MT sports betting scene

• January 7, 2025: Montana State was unable to secure an undefeated season, as they fell to NDSU in the FCS National Championship.

• December 23, 2024: Montana State continued their undefeated season with a win in the semi-finals, and they will now play NDSU in the FCS National Championship. The Bobcats are listed as (-3.5) point favorites.

• December 16, 2024: Headed into the FCS semi-finals, the Montana State Bobcats are listed as (-8) point favorites over South Dakota.

• December 9, 2024: After blowing out UT Martin, the Montana State Bobcats are set to host Idaho in the FCS quarterfinals as (-10.5) point favorites.

• December 3, 2024: In their first game of the FCS playoffs, the Montana State Bobcats will host UT Martin as (-18.5) point favorites.

• November 26, 2024: The Montana State Bobcats earned the #1 seed in the FCS playoffs, as they are current favorites to win the National Championship at (+190).

• November 18, 2024: Montana and 42 other US states welcome Legendz, a social sportsbook & casino platform offering props, parlays, and high RTP. Free play, daily rewards, and real prize opportunities are available for players 18+.

• November 14, 2024: Montana State will head to UC Davis this weekend for one of their biggest games of the year. The Bobcats are currently (-7.5) point road favorites.

• November 8, 2024: In a massive FCS game, the Montana Grizzlies will host UC Davis this weekend as (-6.5) point favorites.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

All sports betting in Montana revolves around in-person wagering. Since every lottery retailer has the option to provide legal sports wagering, there are over 100 retail locations spread all across the state, with over 70 of them located in Billings and over 40 in Missoula.

Since the Montana lottery is in charge of all sports betting operations in the state, it is hard to imagine the landscape of the MT betting market will be changing anytime soon. You can check the complete list of available retail sports betting sites from the Montana Lottery’s website.

Sports betting in neighboring states

The area in which Montana is located is not considered a hot bet for sports betting. While North and South Dakota have passed a sports betting bill, their markets remain very limited, much like Montana’s. In Wyoming, online sports wagering is entirely legal, with, as of April 2024, a total of four sportsbook apps live in the state.

Aside from these, Idaho hasn't legalized sports betting in any form. To learn more about the ins and outs of each state's sports betting legislation, you can click on them in the box down below.

Sports betting revenue impact on Montana's economy

Since Montana's sports betting scene is run entirely by the state lottery, the way licenses work differs from most states. If a location is a lottery retailer, it can offer retail sports betting, but the exact fee for a license in the state is unknown at the moment. However, all such licensed retail operators must pay an 8.5% tax rate on their adjusted gross betting receipts.

When it comes to the MT mobile sports betting market, taxation is a totally different story. Due to the state's monopoly system for mobile sports wagering and state-owned Sports Bet Montana being the sole mobile sportsbook operator in the state, instead of taxing, the Montana government directly takes all sports betting revenue after deducting expenses. Retailers receive a 3% "retailer commission" on every wager made through Sports Bet Montana.

Montana is not a state that will end up on the top of any list comparing monthly or yearly handle and or revenue. The state has never once surpassed $10 million in handle for a single month, and since sports betting became legal in 2020, MT has only recorded a few months with plus $1 million in sportsbooks' revenue; the latest of such cases happened in November 2024, with the new record revenue figures of over $1.5 million.

There are two big reasons for Montana's sports betting numbers, which are population and market layout. For population, Montana is in the bottom ten of states, and that does not mix well with not having mobile betting fully available. For comparison, Maine is similar in population and does not have an expansive market, yet with mobile betting available, it sees around $40 million in handle every month. In total, ME has seen over $550 million in placed real-money wagers, resulting in more than $62 million in sportsbooks' revenue and over $6 million in tax income with just a little over a year of legal mobile sports betting market.

Montana sports betting record months:

• Sports betting handle: October 2024 ($7,590,963)

• Revenue: November 2024 ($1,593,724)

Latest MT mobile sports betting revenue report breakdown (November 2024)

• Total betting handle: $6,799,010

• Winnings paid to players: $5,834,172

  • Hold: 13.18%

• Gross revenue: $1,593,721

• Retailer commissions (3% of total handle): $222,837

Reported by the Montana Lottery.

What did MT bettors wager the most in Nov. 2024?

1. Football ($4.9m placed bets)

2. Basketball ($1.5m)

3. Ice hockey ($375,447)

4. Soccer ($277,340)

5. Boxing ($121,296)

6. MMA ($91,229)

7. Tennis ($34,221)

8. Table tennis ($9,961)

9. Other sports ($16,158)

Recent revenue report data - Compared to the previous year (YoY)

MT sports betting revenue in 2024

All 2024 reported sports betting revenue data from Montana is gathered in the following table. The percentage figure in brackets shows how such numbers have evolved compared to the previous month.

Yearly revenue data