Montana issues 142 gambling licenses but delays remain

Montana Lottery Commission (MLC), the state’s chosen sports gambling manager, has issued 142 betting licenses, but the businesses are still waiting for a green signal to start accepting wagers. MLC hopes to have everything ready by Monday as it is still in the process of finalising the last pieces of the needed infrastructure.

As per reports in local media, MLC is “still installing” the infrastructure and confirming that all workers associated with Montana’s sports wagering operations receive the required training on the state’s Sports Bet Montana gambling kiosks. All eligible properties in the state that want to offer sports betting have to be trained on the kiosks before they can get a license.

Unlike most states, Montana took more than a little controversial and different approach when it agreed to legalise sports gambling. Any business who has a liquor license can install a Sports Bet Montana kiosk, which translates to that more than 1,400 businesses across the state being eligible to operate as a sportsbook if they get a license.

Apart from the kiosks, sports wagering fans can also place their bets online, and this could become the preferred method, as observed in other states. The online sports betting app only works at one of the Sports Bet Montana locations, meaning no gambling while sitting on the sofa, but the maximum bet allowed on the mobile app is $1,000. In contrast, the in-store kiosks have a limit of $250 per wager.

Players will be able to participate in the upcoming March Madness championship series in NCAA men’s basketball if the MLC can get all the pieces in place this week and launch Sports Bet Montana by next Monday. This would be a massive win for the sportsbooks and the state, as the tourney is always a favourite with sports wagering fans. March Madness is set to begin on March 17.

Besides college games, virtually all professional sports are eligible for gambling. As of now, there are no plans to restrict the kinds of bets offered, which means gamblers will have access to the entire range of regular offerings –spreads, futures, moneylines, prop bets and more.

On the face, it may seem that forcing the gambling app to be made available only at licensed locations may be a deterrent, but things will work out in the long run. Missoula has 12 licenses, Billings is going to have 21, Butte and Great Falls will have 10 each, and the state capital of Helena has 9. All of these cities are fairly spread out across the state. Once more licenses get approved, there will be even more options, securing a more significant portion of the available sports betting revenue.