Montana Online Gambling
The Montana online gambling market is one of the most restricted in the United States. The state constitution prohibits all forms of gambling by default, unless authorized by the legislature or a public referendum.
As a result, Montana is a limited and tightly controlled online gambling market. State law contains a broad prohibition against “internet gambling,” a definition that lawmakers have proactively expanded to outlaw emerging verticals.
For example, Montana was the first state to pass legislation specifically banning sweepstakes casinos. It’s also one of only a few states to explicitly criminalize online daily fantasy sports contests.
Read on for a complete Montana online gambling overview. Below, we explain in simple terms exactly which forms of online gambling are legal, which are illegal, and where to play.
Legal Montana Gambling Sites
18+ and present in Montana. T&Cs apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-888-900-9979 or visit mtproblemgambling.org.
Montana Online Gambling Overview
| Type of Gambling (minimum age) | Legal Status | Notes |
| Online Casinos (n/a) | Illegal | Prohibited under MT Code § 23-5-112 (23) |
| Sweepstakes Casinos (n/a) | Illegal | Law enacted in 2025 explicitly banned sweepstakes casinos |
| Online Poker (n/a) | Illegal | Banned under the same statute that prohibits online casinos in MT |
| Online Sports Betting (n/a) | Illegal | MT allows wagers at authorized locations only; statewide online betting prohibited |
| Daily Fantasy Sports (n/a) | Illegal | Online fantasy sports explicitly prohibited under MT Code § 23-5-802 |
| Fantasy Pick’em Contests (n/a) | Illegal | Treated the same as standard DFS contests; illegal in MT |
| Online Lottery Sales (18+) | Legal/Unregulated | MT Lottery does not sell tickets online; licensed courier apps may fulfill orders placed within MT |
| Online Horse Racing (18+) | Legal/Regulated | Legal under MT Code § 23-4-301(7) |
Montana Online Casinos
Online casinos are illegal in Montana.
Montana has maintained strict prohibitions against online gambling for nearly two decades. In 2005, lawmakers passed legislation specifically targeting internet gambling, which “includes but is not limited to the conduct of any legal or illegal gambling enterprise through the use of communications technology.”
The legislature significantly strengthened Montana’s online gambling prohibition in 2025 via SB 555. The law expanded the definition of illegal “internet gambling” to include:
“…internet casinos, by whatever name known, which constitute internet gambling and therefore are prohibited. This includes but is not limited to any platform, website, or application that knowingly transmits or receives gambling information, allows consumers to place a bet or wager using any form of currency, and makes payouts of any form of currency.”
Legalization Outlook
Montana is unlikely to legalize online casinos in the foreseeable future. The legislature has moved in the opposite direction, strengthening Montana’s prohibition of internet gambling rather than loosening restrictions.
The passage of Senate Bill 555 in 2025 demonstrates that Montana lawmakers remain firmly opposed to expanding online gambling.
In short, Montana players should not expect legal online casinos anytime soon.
Sweepstakes Casinos in Montana
Sweepstakes casinos are illegal in Montana.
In May 2025, Montana enacted SB 555, becoming the first state to pass legislation aimed precisely at online sweepstakes casinos.
The bill amended Montana’s gambling statutes to make it clear that “online casinos, by whatever name known,” including any platform or app that accepts bets and pays out prizes in any form of currency, constitute prohibited internet gambling.
Lawmakers crafted the bill to target the sweepstakes casino model, which uses virtual coins and sweepstakes entries to mimic real-money online gambling in Montana.
Under the law, operating a sweepstakes casino in Montana (or knowingly facilitating play on one) is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. In anticipation of the ban, major sweepstakes operators pulled out of the Montana market.
For example, Stake.us, Chumba Casino, Global Poker, McLuck Casino, and High 5 Casino all stopped accepting Montana customers even before the law formally took effect.
No Alternatives for Montana Gamblers
Montana’s ban reflects a zero-tolerance policy for unregulated online gambling. State officials argued that sweepstakes casinos, despite their “no purchase necessary” facade, functioned like real online casinos and posed consumer protection concerns.
By using broad terms, Montana’s law leaves no legal loopholes for sweepstakes casino operators. Even free-to-play sweepstakes with prize redemption are arguably covered.
Industry groups like the Social & Promotional Gaming Association (SPGA) criticized the law as overly vague and potentially criminalizing ordinary promotional contests, but Montana’s legislature was unmoved.
As a result, Montana is one of just a few states with no legal or even quasi-legal alternatives for gamblers seeking casino-style games online.
Montana Online Poker
Online poker is illegal in Montana.
Like online casinos, online poker sites fall under the state’s comprehensive prohibition of “Internet gambling” as defined in MCA 23-5-112. The statute makes no exception for peer-to-peer games of skill, treating online poker the same as any other unauthorized form of internet-based wagering.
Montana’s anti-online poker stance is consistent with its overall gambling policy. The law does not carve out any exception for poker or classify it separately from other forms of gambling.
Similarly, the 2025 law banning sweepstakes casinos also applies to sweepstakes poker online. Currently, there are no legal alternatives for poker players in Montana.
Legalization Outlook
There is little indication that Montana will legalize online poker in the near future.
Attempts in other states to regulate online poker often accompany broader online gambling bills, but Montana’s focus has been elsewhere. The legislature’s energy in recent years has gone toward launching sports wagering and clamping down on grey-area gaming, not expanding into new online games.
A proposal to allow online poker would likely face the same opposition as DFS did from gambling interests worried about new competition and social conservatives concerned about gambling availability.
Without significant public or political pressure, Montana is unlikely to revisit online poker legalization. For the time being, those wishing to play poker for money must do so at physical card tables in Montana or travel to jurisdictions where online poker is legal.
Montana Online Sports Betting
Online sports betting is illegal in Montana.
Montana operates sports betting as a government-run monopoly rather than a competitive market. The Montana Lottery serves as both the regulator and the sole approved sports betting operator within state lines.
Although the MT Lottery offers a mobile app (branded Sports Bet Montana), bettors cannot place wagers remotely. Users may register, deposit funds, withdraw, and create betting slips from anywhere, but they must visit licensed retailers in person to place bets.
How Montana Sports Betting Works
Montana’s sports betting model offers some unique advantages and significant drawbacks:
Strengths:
- Hundreds of retail locations throughout the state offer sports betting
- Any Montana Lottery retailer can apply for a sports betting license, including taverns, convenience stores, restaurants, and bars
- No specific restrictions on college sports betting
Weaknesses:
- Monopoly structure means bettors accept whatever odds the Montana Lottery offers; no competition among commercial sportsbooks that would otherwise try to attract customers via quality lines, promotions, bonuses, etc.
- Limited betting options compared to major sportsbooks
- Customers may only submit wagers in person at licensed retail locations
- Bettors must wager all funds they deposit before withdrawing; users may only withdraw their winnings
- $100,000 cap on winnings (includes return of initial wager)
- Sports Bet Montana will accept wagers with payout potential higher than $100,000 but still impose the $100,000 winnings cap
Montana Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports are illegal in Montana.
Montana is one of the few states where online daily fantasy sports contests are explicitly illegal by statute.
Under Montana law, “it is unlawful to wager on a fantasy sports league by telephone or by the internet”. The statute’s direct and unambiguous language effectively preempts the “game of skill” versus “game of chance” debate that has defined the legal status of DFS in many other states.
Montana’s stance on DFS is a direct consequence of the state constitution, which states that any form of gambling must be “specifically and clearly allowed” to be considered legal.
Rather than leaving the status of DFS to interpretation by courts or the Attorney General, the legislature proactively passed a law that explicitly bans the online component. While the statute does permit certain in-person, season-long fantasy leagues, this carve-out does not apply to the popular daily contest model offered online. Multiple legislative efforts to legalize and regulate online DFS have been introduced over the years, but all have failed to pass, reaffirming the state’s intent to maintain the ban.
Consequently, all reputable fantasy sports apps restrict customers from Montana.
Fantasy Pick’em Contests in Montana
Fantasy pick’em contests are illegal in Montana.
Montana’s prohibition on daily fantasy sports extends to fantasy pick’em contests.
Fantasy pick’em contests typically involve player-vs-house formats that closely resemble sports betting prop bets. Unsurprisingly, they’re also illegal in Montana. Fantasy pick’em apps like PrizePicks, ParlayPlay, and similar operators do not serve Montana residents.
Montana Online Lottery Sales
The MT Lottery does not offer online ticket sales directly to customers. However, licensed courier apps may purchase tickets on behalf of customers located anywhere within state lines.
The official MT Lottery website explains that “any business with an active Montana Lottery sales agent license is legally authorized to sell tickets.” The website then lists several approved lottery couriers, with Jackpocket as the most prominent.
A November 2022 legal opinion from the Department of Administration confirmed that lottery courier apps are legal in Montana if properly licensed.
Online Horse Racing Betting in Montana
Advance deposit wagering is the only form of online gambling that is legal and regulated in Montana.
Montana’s Board of Horse Racing regulates advance deposit wagering (online horse betting) and issues licenses to operators.
To accept wagers from Montana residents, operators must obtain Montana ADW licenses and agree to remit a portion of their betting handle to support the state’s racing industry.
The Board maintains a list of approved ADW platforms and tells bettors: any company not on that list and still taking Montana customers is breaking state law
Fortunately, all major US horse betting sites are on the approved list. Current licensed operators include:
Montana Gambling Regulators
Montana relies on multiple agencies to supervise legal gambling and enforce prohibitions.
- Montana DOJ – Gambling Control Division (GCD): Licenses and regulates most land‑based gambling activity; investigates and enforces violations, including illegal internet gambling and solicitation. Publishes licensing forms and compliance guidance.
- Montana Lottery Commission: Operates Sports Bet Montana; licenses retail lottery outlets; oversees approved lottery couriers; enforces age/location and integrity controls for lottery and sports wagering.
- Montana Board of Horse Racing: Licenses and regulates pari‑mutuel wagering and ADW operators; sets rules for hub operators and account wagering; oversees live and simulcast racing.
Responsible Gambling Resources in Montana
Montana’s problem gambling support infrastructure is less developed than in many other states.
Unfortunately, despite having one of the highest rates of gambling disorder in the nation, Montana lacks a comprehensive, statewide self-exclusion program that covers all forms of gambling.
Self-Exclusion & Responsible Gambling Tools
Montana’s gambling self-exclusion options are limited and fragmented:
- Sports Betting Self-Exclusion: The Montana Lottery does not maintain a centralized self-exclusion program for sports betting kiosks. However, bettors may self-exclude from the Sports Bet Montana app.
- Video Gambling Machine Self-Exclusion: Montana does not offer a statewide self-exclusion program for the thousands of video gambling machines distributed across taverns, bars, and small casinos throughout the state.
- Tribal Casino Self-Exclusion: Each tribal casino in Montana operates its own self-exclusion program. Enrollment applies only to the specific tribal casino where the individual initiates the request. Montana has no statewide registry that covers tribal gaming facilities.
Responsible Gambling Organizations
- Montana Council on Problem Gambling (MCPG): Statewide education, outreach, and treatment referrals; 24-hour helpline: 888-900-9979.
- National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG): 24/7 confidential help via 1‑800‑GAMBLER, text 800GAM, or chat live online.
- Gamblers Anonymous: Peer‑support groups for individuals with gambling problems and their families; meeting locators available online.