Online Sports Betting Operators in Montana

Sports Bet Montana is your only legal option for betting on sports online from the Big Sky State.

It offers a solid range of sports and various ways to bet on them, including:

  • Futures bets
  • Prop bets
  • Parlays
  • Line bets
  • Handicaps

Sports Bet Montana’s app and website are easy to use and well-designed. You can find them on a desktop or laptop website, mobile site, or an app for your iOS or Android device.

The app boasts a top range of sports to bet on. However, sadly, the odds are often slightly worse than at some of the most popular sportsbooks in other legal states.

The biggest drawback, though, is that Sports Bet Montana isn’t true online betting. Although it does involve using the internet, you can only bet from inside one of the state’s 100+ licensed locations.

This is secured by geotagging software, so there’s no use trying to bet from your house or anywhere outside of Montana.

However, you can sign in and check your details or plan bets wherever you are. You just can’t place a wager outside of a physical gambling venue.

You can collect winnings of up to $600 from the licensed operator. If you want to withdraw higher amounts, you need to visit a Montana Lottery office.

Potential Future of Montana Sports Betting

It’s unlikely that online sports betting will be expanded in Montana any time soon.

Lawmakers here may have been the first to go for legal sports betting, but they took the most conservative approach to legalization compared to almost every other legal state. This suggests a similarly careful path in the future, which was confirmed by Governor Bullock himself.

If the state was to expand online sports betting to outside companies, some of the legal sports betting services available in other states that could expand to Montana are:

  • DraftKings
  • FanDuel
  • Unibet
  • William Hill

What Sports Can You Bet on in Montana?

Sports Bet Montana features a wider range of sports than many operators in other states:

  • NFL and college football
  • NBA and college basketball
  • MLB or international baseball
  • MLS soccer and dozens of other global leagues, like the English Premier League or Germany’s Bundesliga
  • Boxing
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • Motorsports

Football

Montana doesn’t house an NFL team you can bet on, but you can wager on the hugely successful Montana Grizzlies of the University of Montana in Missoula.

The Grizzlies were among the most successful college football teams of the 2000s. They hold 18 Big Sky Conference league titles and two Nationals.

Aside from the Grizzlies, you can use Sports Bet Montana to wager on almost any NFL game – and even some matches from other, international football leagues.

Soccer

Montana isn’t home to an MLS team or even a D1 college soccer team. Montana University at Billings features a college team, but you can’t bet on it via Sports Bet Montana.

You can bet on any MLS game or matches from the world’s biggest leagues like the English Premier League or the Italian Serie A.

Baseball

Another highly popular sport for Americans to bet on is baseball. However, it isn’t the most popular sport to play in Montana.

There’s no professional or even minor league team in the state, but you can bet on national MLB games and even matches from the Japanese and Korean leagues through Sports Bet Montana.

Legal Matters: Taxes and What You Aren’t Allowed to Wager On

If your annual sports betting wins are under $600, you don’t need to pay any taxes.

Any individual win over that amount must be collected from a Montana State Lottery office. The federal tax rate of 24% is automatically withheld from any money over the $600 limit.

You will also receive a tax form at the end of the year, detailing the charges.

If you manage cumulative wins over $600 in each tax year, it’s up to you to contact the IRS to update it on your earnings and pay any relevant taxes.

This is another advantage of betting using a website or app, as the service automatically tracks your lifetime winnings and losses.

Montana Sports Betting Bonuses

Sports Bet Montana doesn’t currently offer any bonuses. Many legal state sportsbooks run by the state also lack welcome bonuses, but a few of them at least post enhanced odds during special sporting events.

Not so at Sports Bet Montana. There is no promotions section on its website, which suggests the company isn’t planning any bonuses for the near future.

If Sports Bet Montana decides to introduce bonuses, or if Montana allows more private competition into the market, you’ll likely see offers similar to those available in legal states today.

If Sports Bet Montana faces more competition, you might see bonuses such as:

  • Deposit matches
  • Free bets
  • Promotional odds boosts
  • Special set parlay bets

History

Montana never enjoyed legal sports betting before 2018.

Unlike many other states that have had complicated relationships with horse racing over the years, Montana has never offered legal horse race betting.

Since the 1700s, Native American Horse racing has been available in Montana, which you can still see each August at Crow Fair near Billings.

1868 marked the first race at Montana State Fairgrounds Racetrack – the only notable major racetrack in the state. It hosts race meetings today.

Betting almost certainly went on during these times, without any law specifically stopping it.

However, in 1889, Montana’s constitution made all forms of gambling illegal in the state.

This continued until 1933, when state prohibition laws were thrown back. Betting on all sorts of sports at bars in Montana was soon rife, although still not covered by any specific law.

It wasn’t until 1949 that any kind of legislation was worked up to regulate gambling, although even then, sports betting wasn’t included.

Sports bettors in Montana had to wait almost 70 years before legal sports betting hit the state in 2018.

The Big Sky State saw plenty of gambling law changes in that time, but almost none of them were related to sports betting – online or otherwise. 

FAQ on Sports Betting in Montana

What’s Montana’s minimum gambling age?

You must be 18 to gamble in Montana. This gambling age is lower than in many other legal sports betting states where you need to be 21 to participate.

Can I bet on college sports anywhere in Montana?

Yes – but only on licensed premises.

Is any other kind of online gambling legal in Montana?

No. Legal casino gaming is available at some of the licensed premises that offer sports betting, and there are ten tribal casinos in the state.

None of these options are online, though, and you can’t even play blackjack at any Montana casino.

This lawmaking suggests that legal online casinos aren’t likely in Montana’s near future.

What’s the best sports team to bet on in Montana?

The Montana Grizzlies football team from the University of Montana in Missoula is the most consistently successful sports team in the state.

They play in the Big Sky Northeastern Conference, and you can bet on their games through Sports Bet Montana.

Can I use Sports Bet Montana outside of state lines?

You can use the app or website from anywhere to check your ongoing bets, see your account stats, and look at the available odds.

However, you can’t place a wager unless you’re physically on licensed Montana betting premises.