Montana Online Casino Real Money – Gambling Laws in The Treasure State

Land-Based Casinos in Montana

The definition of casino is a bit broad in the state. Most operators that offer video gaming machines can be considered casinos.
Depending on which resource you explore, MT has anywhere from 500 to 1,400 “casino” operations at any time.

For our purposes, we will focus on establishments that offer Class II and Class III gaming. Seven Indian tribes operate ten casinos throughout the state.

Here’s a brief rundown of the tribal casinos in the state:

Video Gaming Machines

The law permits any business with a liquor license to host up to 20 video gaming machines. These machines primarily consist of video poker, keno, and slot variants.

There are over 1,400 businesses of all types around Montana that offer VGMs, more than any other state.

There are limits on play on VGMs. First, the maximum stake is $2, and the most that anyone can win is $800.

Horse & Dog Tracks

The Montana Department of Commerce regulates horse racing through the Board of Horse Racing.

Two horse racing tracks in MT allow for betting on live racing and simulcast racing. Off-track betting is also available at ten locations. Simulcast racing is allowed at these facilities. 

Advance Deposit Wagering is legal and the only form of online gambling allowed in the state. Interestingly enough, all options for ADW are out-of-state operations but are licensed by the Board of Horse Racing.

It is illegal to wager at ADW sites not authorized by the Board of Horse Racing.

Betting on dog races is allowed for simulcast races only at OTB locations.

Online Sports Betting

The state legalized retail sports betting in 2020.

Sports betting is offered through the Montana Lottery, and bets can be made at licensed lottery retailers. This gives players more options for in-person sports betting than any other US state.

Mobile betting is legal, but you must be at a lottery retailer to bet with the mobile app. SportsbetMontana.com  has a complete list of retailers that take bets, broken down by region.

Bingo Halls and Charitable Gambling

The state allows nonprofit organizations to hold charitable gambling events, including raffles, bingo, and keno games. 

Organizations holding more than one bingo or keno game per year must apply for a Gambling Operator license and can hold games for no more than 60 days per year.

Raffles must be clearly advertised as charitable raffles, and tickets may not be sold online.

Charitable organizations are allowed to hold an annual “Casino Night.” Casino night activities can include card games like poker and poker tournaments.

If a nonprofit only has a single charitable activity per year, it must fill out a Casino Night application rather than an operator application.

Social Gaming at Home

Social gambling is extremely limited.

The only legal games are “social card games of bridge, cribbage, hearts, pinochle, pitch, rummy, solo, and whist, played solely for prizes of minimal value.”

Poker games are not exempt from the legal exclusions, making home poker games illegal.

However, there are few instances where law enforcement has raided home poker games, provided the host is not profiting from hosting the game.

Poker Rooms and Clubs

MT law defines poker as a legal card game, with around 25 licensed poker rooms nationwide. The Montana Gaming Control Division regulates Montana Card Rooms.

Most MT poker rooms are small operations with one to four tables.

Most offer poker cash games consisting of Texas Hold’em and Omaha poker. A few poker rooms hold Texas Hold’em poker tournaments.

Also, poker tournaments are allowed as part of casino nights for charitable organizations. These events can be held once per year and must be licensed by the Montana Department of Justice.

Eight-Liners

Eight-liners are video gaming machines that are similar to slot machines. They can also offer keno game variants. 

In MT, eight-liners would be classified as video gaming machines, making them eligible to be offered in licensed casinos and VGM establishments.

Online Slots

Offshore casinos offer hundreds to thousands of real money slot games from top-rated providers like BetSoft, Rival Games, and Real Time Gaming.

You’ll find a large selection of video slots with fantastic themes, attractive prizes, and engaging mechanics, such as Megaways and cluster pays.

Some casinos also offer jackpot slots. The jackpots range from small fixed jackpots worth a few hundred bucks to massive progressive jackpots with six-figure prizes.

Slot machines are legal in casinos and video gambling machines in MT. Depending on where you play, your options for slot machines may be limited.

For a larger selection of games, you will want to play at offshore online casinos.

Online Poker

Out-of-state poker rooms offer a large selection of online poker tables and video poker games like Texas Hold’em and tournaments with unlimited betting. 

There are no limits on play in poker tournaments, meaning you can participate in high-stakes tournaments as you’d see at venues like the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Poker is big business in the state, with at least 20 licensed card rooms throughout the state. It is one of the best places to play low to medium-stakes poker in the United States.

However, if you don’t want to be limited in your play, try offshore online poker rooms.

Blackjack

Montana online casinos offer an excellent selection of online blackjack games.

You have single-hand and multi-hand versions of the game, with popular variants like Perfect Pairs Blackjack and 21+3 Blackjack.

Your options for land-based blackjack are limited. Only Indian Casinos offering Class III games will have blackjack games.

Otherwise, your best option is to play online blackjack at offshore casinos.

Live Dealer Games

If you don’t live near an Indian casino that offers Class III gaming, your best alternative will be to play live dealer games at offshore casinos.

Live dealer games offer traditional card games and table games like blackjack, baccarat, roulette, Big 6, and poker games. These games feature a human dealer controlling the action with the casino software handling payouts.

Some casinos offer gaming options you won’t find at Montana casinos. These include lottery-draw games like 5 Bet and game show-style games like Music Wheel.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Montana?

MTa is one of a handful of US states that have explicitly considered internet gambling illegal. This covers online casino gambling, online poker, online sports betting, and even Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS).

While online gambling in the state is considered illegal.

The laws do not explicitly forbid using gambling platforms that are officially approved in other places, and authorities overlook your activities unless you’re planning to run an online casino within the state borders.

Because of this, many people engage in playing online casino games via operators that are located in different countries.

The only exception is Advance Deposit Wagering for sports betting. The Board of Horse Racing licenses several out-of-state ADW sites.

These companies return money to the Montana Racing industry and are the only places to gamble online legally.

MT law permits “mobile wagering” for sports betting, but you must be at a lottery retailer to legally bet with the app. This does not constitute proper online sports betting.

Montana’s gambling law states that gambling or gambling activity covers the risk of anything of value on anything that involves “lot, chance, or the operation of a gambling device or gambling enterprise.”

Illegal gambling enterprise goes further to include internet gambling and explicitly states that the use of communication technology to transmit computer information is unlawful.

This leaves no room for any form of gray area arguments you often see regarding computerized online gambling. (Title 23-5-112 of Montana Code)

Poker and Other Card Games are Legal in Licensed Establishments

The state passed the Card Games Act that legalizes live “bridge, cribbage, hearts, panguingue, pinochle, pitch, poker, rummy, solo, and whist.” 

Card games can only be offered by licensed operators. There are limits to standard card games, including poker cash games. Prizes cannot exceed $800 per hand, including in NL Texas Hold’em games.

Poker tournaments can exceed this limit, but a special permit must be held for small-stakes and large-stakes tournaments.

Poker runs are also authorized under this act (Title 23, Chapter 5, Part 3 of Montana Code).

Video Gaming Machines Legal at Permitted Location

The Video Gaming Machine Control Act allows businesses with a liquor license to apply for a license to operate video gaming machines (VGMs). The games authorized are bingo, video poker, keno, and slot games.

Machines must have a max bet of $2 and a top prize of $800. Unless local ordinances permit otherwise, games cannot operate from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. daily.

Games must have a minimum RTP of 80% but a maximum of 92% (Title 23, Chapter 5, Part 6 of MT Code). This is restrictive as some slot games at offshore casinos can reach 98% RTP.

Penalties For Illegal Gambling Are Minor For First Time Offenders

One interesting point about Montana gambling laws is that first offenses are almost always misdemeanors, including operating an illegal gambling business. A first offense is punishable by a fine of up to $500.

However, subsequent misdemeanor offenses can carry stiff penalties, including up to $10,000 in fines and lifetime bans from holding a gaming license.

Some crimes, such as operating a fraudulent, illegal gambling business, can carry felony convictions.

Penalties for felony gambling convictions have potential fines of up to $50,000 and possible imprisonment for up to 10 years for each offense. (Title 23-5-161 and 162 of MT Code)

Activities Exempt from Montana Gambling Laws

Various activities are exempt from Montana gambling laws. They include the following:

• Promotional games of chance (Example: Scratch tickets for a furniture store)
• Amusement games (Dart games, hoop toss, etc)
• Social card games (bridge, hearts, cribbage, etc)
• Patron dice games
• Fishing derbies
• Wagering on natural occurrences (weather events)

These exceptions are in addition to any legal gambling activities licensed and regulated in the state.

Avoid Unlicensed Casinos

Only play at online casinos holding a license from a primary regulatory authority like the Curacao Gaming Control Board or Malta Gaming Authority.

Licensed online casinos follow the same types of regulations as you’d expect from state-regulated casinos. Avoid unlicensed casinos at all costs.

Look for Reputable Software Providers

When researching a casino, check the types of software providers they use for games. You’re looking for reputable providers like BetSoft, Belatra, Playson, Rival, Wazdan, Yggdrasil, and others.

The providers offer superior gaming software and are licensed in multiple jurisdictions.

Complete KYC Verification

Know Your Customer (KYC) verification is a tool that legitimate casinos use to verify player identity and reduce fraud.

Licensed casinos require KYC verification before you cash out. Complete this process as early as possible so you get your payouts without delay.

Look for Feedback from Other Players

Word of mouth is often the best way to gauge the legitimacy of offshore casinos. Look for feedback for any casino you’re researching.

While no online casino has a perfect track record of positive reviews, it is useful to look for negative feedback patterns, such as payment delays or other fraudulent behavior.

This can help you weed out potential rogue casinos.

Use Responsible Gambling Tools

Most safe online casinos offer players responsible gambling tools to help control gambling habits. These include time, betting, and deposit limits.

You can also opt for cooling off or self-exclusion if gambling starts to become a problem. Gambling is meant to be entertainment, so gamble responsibly.