Montana Gambling Law
Throughout much of the first half of the 20th century, the state of Montana carried on a love-hate relationship with gambling. As far back as 1899, the Montana state constitution had declared all forms of gambling to be illegal in the state.
Despite this decree, gambling, even illegal slot machines, continued to operate at sites around Montana. In the 1940s, charity gambling was permitted, and pull tabs became popular. It wasn’t until 1950 that Montana lawmakers truly set out to put the clamps on illegal gambling. The Montana Supreme Court, by a 4-1 margin, ruled against the legalization of gambling.
In 1973, the state legislature passed the Card Game, Bingo, Raffles, and Sports Pool Act, bringing back forms of charitable gambling. Keno was added to this collection in 1976. Video poker was legalized in 1984, and the state lottery was created in 1986.
By 1994, Montana approved the first land-based tribal casinos. A significant change occurred in 2019, when the state government approved legal, regulated retail and online sports betting. At the same time, the state legislature was rejecting a proposal to legalize blackjack.