Sports Betting
Casino Gambling
Online Casino / iGaming
State Lottery
Commercial Card Rooms / Poker Clubs
Montana has no destination casinos in the traditional sense. What it has instead is a dense network of video gambling terminals — poker, keno, and other games — distributed across bars and taverns throughout the state under the Montana Lottery's oversight. There are roughly 1,600 licensed gambling establishments operating thousands of machines. Sports betting is legal and operates through the Montana Lottery's Scoreboard app, which launched in 2020. The state controls sports betting directly rather than licensing private operators.
This creates a peculiar gambling landscape. You are never far from a video gambling machine in Montana — they are in almost every bar. But there is no casino with table games, no poker room in the conventional sense, and no major resort gambling destination. The lottery also sells traditional draw games and scratch tickets.
For residents, gambling is accessible but limited in variety. The Scoreboard sports betting app is functional but has fewer features and betting markets than the commercial apps available in neighboring states. The video gambling machines are the dominant form of gambling activity. If you want blackjack at a table or a full sports betting menu, you are looking at a trip to Wyoming, Nevada, or South Dakota, where Deadwood offers commercial casino gambling.
No destination casinos but small bars/taverns with video gambling terminals are ubiquitous. Unique gambling culture.
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People Also Ask
What kind of gambling is illegal in Montana?
Montana Constitution. All forms of gambling, lotteries, and gift enterprises are prohibited unless authorized by acts of the legislature or by the people through initiative or referendum.
Are casinos 18+ in Montana?
Montana Minimum Gambling Age Minimum gambling ages are 18 years old for casinos, 18 for poker, 18 for bingo, 18 for sports betting, 18 for horse racing, 18 for the lottery.
What two states prohibit gambling?
If state-run lotteries are included, then 48 states allow some form of gambling. The exceptions are Hawaii, where gambling was outlawed prior to statehood, and Utah, which bans gambling in its state constitution. Casino-style gambling, however, is much less widespread than lotteries.
When did gambling become legal in Montana?
Montana's Gambling Over the Past 25 Years: 1972: Montana's new constitution outlawed all gambling, except that permitted by law. Subsequent legislation legalized bingo, raffles, sports pools, and certain card games. 1976: The Montana Supreme Court ruled keno is a form of bingo, thus legalizing electronic keno.
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In the News
- U.S. sports betting: Where all 50 states stand on online sports betting sites - CBS SportsJul 3
- Bobby Kennedy, Montana betting on longer-term future with new contract - MontanaSports.comJul 2
- Montana sports betting revenue remains steady, despite rise of prediction market apps - NBC MontanaApr 12
- Sports Betting States Where It’s Legal in the US 2026 (Full List) - FOX SportsMay 1
- Montana Sports Betting Explained - SquawkaFeb 11
Full Montana profile
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Sources: American Gaming Association 2024, Legal Sports Report, NCSL. Gambling laws change frequently — verify current status before wagering.