Montana opens public consultation on sports betting rules

The Montana Lottery has launched a public consultation for state residents to comment on the new sports wagering rules after the office released the proposal in the monthly Montana Administrative Register late last week.

The Lottery has estimated that over 1,400 vendors could make a play to become licensed operators to offer sports betting, WSN reports. Any vendor that has a gambling operators’ license, is licensed by the Lottery Commission, or has an alcohol beverage license will be eligible to submit an application for review.

Montana’s sports betting will be different than typical on-site wagering that most find in casinos. The state will offer kiosks that are regulated and approved by the Lottery commission instead of allowing for physical sportsbooks.

The state does have plans to introduce online sports betting as well for bettors within the Montana boarders. This rule will help bettors who don’t have a kiosk near them due to the size of the state of Montana.

Montana, the first state in 2019 to legalize sports betting, will keeps wagering under tight wraps in the early months of operation as the Lottery will give bettors the opportunity to limit their bets via their app.

One of the proposed rules is that bettors can claim up to $600 in winnings from a claim agent because anything over that amount has to be claimed directly through the Lottery system by mail or in person.

A public hearing will take place on October 28th where residents can voice concerns or support for the rules, with an approval by the commission expected soon after allowing the Lottery to set a plan in place for the roll out of sports betting in the state.

Indiana launched online sports betting in the state last week with expectations high that the offering will significantly boost tax revenue for the state due to increased wagering.

The DraftKings Sportsbook has been given permission to start accepting online bets through their app starting this week. The daily fantasy powerhouse teamed up with Penn National Gaming to offer sports betting to customers in the Hoosier State.

DraftKings joined Rush Street Interactive and French Lick Casino as the initial gaming operators to offer mobile sports betting on the legal launch date.