Operator News
US – Montana Lottery Commission issues 142 sports betting licences
By Phil - 2 March 2020
The state of Montana is to launch its sports betting era on March 9, in time for March Madness with the Montana Lottery Commission confirming that 142 companies have received their sports betting licences.
In stark contrast to most states, Montana opted for just one sports betting brand, Sports Bet Montana, but offered any business with a liquor license the opportunity to install a Sports Bet Montana kiosk. Bets can also be placed online as long as the customer is within one of the sports betting licensed properties. In-store kiosks have a betting limit of $250 per bet whilst the mobile app allows bets of up to $1,000.
Montana Lottery communications manager Jennifer McKee said: “We are in the home stretch of our planning and testing. We are really looking forward to getting Sports Bet Montana in the market, and we’re as excited as Montanans are for betting to begin.”
The whole sports betting system will be run by Intralot who runs the lottery in Montana. The award nearly led to delays but as Montana Lottery attorney Mike Manion pointed out sports betting in Montana is classed as a new lottery game, meaning it automatically falls to Intralot.
The biggest concentration of sports betting licences have been awarded in Billings with 21 liquor licence holders to launch sports betting in Montana’s most populous city. Elsewhere Butte and Great Falls have 10 each, Missoula has 12 whilst Helena, the state capital, has nine.
The Commission added: “The lottery launched Sports Bet Montana in December, when it began accepting and processing sports wagering licenses. Since then, the lottery has licensed more than 100 sales agents and continues fine-tuning the communications and technology pieces that will power Sports Bet Montana in the market. Now, most of that work is complete and Montana Lottery crews have begun installing communications equipment in retail locations. They expect to begin placing the betting terminals the week of March 9, with training for sales agents to follow very quickly after the equipment is installed. As soon as sales agents are trained, they can begin selling as Sports Bet Montana will be live on the terminals as soon as they are installed.”
The approved professional and collegiate sports are: basketball, baseball, ice hockey, football, soccer, tennis, boxing/MMA, golf and motor sports. Approved bets include moneyline, over/under, in-game betting, parlay, spread, prop bets and future bets.
