Legislation

US – Montana opens consultation on kiosk style sports betting

By Phil - 8 October 2019

The Montana Lottery has released its draft sports betting laws for public consumption with the plan being to allow lottery vendors to install kiosks to allow customers to bet.

There will be no true sports books in Montana with the lottery estimating that 1,400 lottery vendors could apply for sports betting licenses.

Players will be able to place wagers on their mobile devices if they are within a certain distance of a kiosk. They will be able to register remotely via the Montana Lottery’s app.

The state lottery said it wants to launch sports betting by the end of 2019 or ‘whenever the director, with the commission’s concurrence, finds it feasible and in the state’s best interest.”

Lottery Director Angela Wong said: “The sports wagering law passed in May and we’ve been working hard ever since to build something Montanans will be excited about. We’ve got a lot to share with Montanans, but the first step is making sure their voices are heard as we move forward.”

Tax has been set at 8.5 per cent of receipts with a license fee of $1,000.

Governor Steve Bullock said: “For the market to succeed, Montana needs to enter the sports wagering market conservatively-adopting only one of the two models now. If, in two years, the market can tolerate more entrants, then I fully expect the legislature will revisit whether a second model is prudent for our state.”
The public consultation period will last for 30 days