Sports betting licensing process started in Montana, and Montana Lottery is now accepting license applications from businesses looking to offer the lottery’s new sports betting product, Sports Bet Montana.
Sports wagering rules have been published in the Montana Administrative Register last week and been approved by the Montana Lottery Commission in November.
“Today is a big day for Sports Bet Montana,” Montana Lottery director Angela Wong said. “We’ve been working a long time for this and we’re excited to see that hard work pay off and excited to start the process of launching sports betting.”
The rules state that players can only place bets at licensed Sports Bet Montana locations. While they will be able to view upcoming events odds and bets available via a mobile app, they will only be able to place bets within licensed premises, either via their phones or at a kiosk.
Players using mobile devices will have to sign up for a betting account, while retail bookies will have to check their identity before they can place bets.
Locations must meet specific requirements to apply. The regulations provide the option of a voluntary self-exclusion program, to set a personal deposit, spending and time limits. Players must be 18 years old or above to gamble. Any account which does not place a bet for 18 months must be closed, according to the new rules. The rules state that a location must have a proper alcohol license to allow gambling.
around 1,400 businesses would qualify to offer sports betting services
In general terms, this would be a bar or tavern. In the state, around 1,400 businesses would qualify to offer sports betting services.
Lottery sales agents must pay a $50 license fee as part of the application process, after which they will be eligible for a commission of 6% of the value of the wagers placed at their establishment, with bonuses and incentives for those that hit certain sales targets.
The lottery described the licensing process as the first stage in Sports Bet Montana’s roll-out. Once it has issued licenses, it will begin retailer training, which will be followed by the roll-out of the Sports Bet Montana hardware.
