Montana Sports Betting
Retail only
The Montana Lottery runs the only sportsbook, Sports Bet Montana; bet in person or on its app, but only inside a licensed location.
As of October 26, 2026, sports betting is partially legal in Montana: retail (in-person) wagering is allowed, but there is no statewide mobile sportsbook app. Betting is regulated by the Montana Lottery. You must be 18 or older to place a bet.
Legal Options You Can Use From Home in Montana
No sportsbook can take your bet from home in Montana, but these platforms operate under federal or sweepstakes rules instead of a state sportsbook license. We list only platforms whose published rules do not exclude Montana, as of October 2026. Rules change, so confirm eligibility in the app before you sign up.
The offers below are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. How we make money.
Prediction markets
You buy yes-or-no contracts on events, including games, priced from 1 to 99 cents; a correct contract pays $1. How prediction markets work.
Legal Status
Retail only
College Player Props
Yes, Allowed in a retail-only market.
What Makes Montana Different
In Montana the state lottery runs the only sportsbook. Sports Bet Montana operates at more than 550 lottery-licensed locations, each of which must also hold a state gambling operator license. You can bet in person at a licensed location, including at self-service terminals, or through the Sports Bet Montana app, but the app only takes a bet while location services show you are inside a licensed location. It will not work at home.
The minimum age is 18. Montana law bars selling wagers to anyone under 18, and Sports Bet Montana says players must be 18. Bets can be bought only with cash, check or debit card, never on credit.
The business hosting the betting earns a commission, set by state law at no more than 10% of each wager, plus possible incentive payments. In the week ending October 17, 2026, bettors wagered $1,374,305, the book kept $133,160 and host businesses earned $41,229. Football made up 65.6% of handle. The Lottery publishes these numbers every week, and the Lottery's net revenue first funds $2.25 million a year in STEM scholarships.
Montana is strict about online gambling. Wagering on fantasy sports by internet or phone is illegal, though fantasy leagues and sports pools run in person at licensed bars are legal. Since October 1, 2025, a law known as SB 555 makes running an online casino a felony, and news coverage says its 'any form of currency' language reaches dual-currency sweepstakes sites. Horse racing bets are legal at licensed tracks and through board-licensed online hubs. Prediction markets such as Kalshi are accessible, with no Montana enforcement found, though the state has not addressed them.
Every Legal Way to Play in Montana
| Product | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Online sportsbooks | Restricted | Only Sports Bet Montana, run by the Montana Lottery; its app takes bets only inside a licensed sports wagering location, confirmed by location services. source |
| Retail sportsbooks | Legal | In-person betting, including self-service terminals, at more than 550 lottery-licensed locations, each of which must also hold a state gambling operator license. source |
| Daily fantasy sports | Not legal | In-person fantasy leagues are legal, but state law makes it unlawful to wager on a fantasy sports league by telephone or internet. source |
| Pick'em fantasy contests | Not legal | Montana bars wagering on fantasy leagues by internet; we found no carve-out for pick'em contests. source |
| Prediction markets | Unclear | Sports contracts are accessible through the major operators and no Montana enforcement was found as of Oct. 23, 2026; the federal-versus-state legal fight is unresolved nationally. source |
| Sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks | Not legal | Since Oct. 1, 2025, online casinos 'by whatever name known' that take any form of currency count as illegal internet gambling, a felony for operators (SB 555). source |
| Horse racing (including ADW) | Restricted | Pari-mutuel betting at licensed race meets and simulcast sites; online ADW is legal only through a hub operator licensed by the Board of Horse Racing. source |
| Lottery | Legal | Montana Lottery, 18+; the first $2.25 million of net revenue each year funds Montana STEM scholarships. source |
| Casinos | Restricted | Video gambling machines are permitted on alcohol-licensed premises with a gambling operator license; tribal gaming on Indian lands is governed by federal law. source |
Best Legal Options in Montana
- Sports Bet Montana at a licensed location: The only legal sportsbook, at more than 550 locations, by counter, terminal or app. 18+, cash or debit only, and the app works only on the licensed premises.
- Sports pools and fantasy leagues at licensed bars: Legal in person under state gambling law. Must be run on alcohol-licensed premises; no internet wagering.
- Horse racing through a licensed ADW hub or simulcast site: Pari-mutuel betting is legal through board-licensed channels. ADW is illegal unless the hub operator is licensed by the Board of Horse Racing.
- Montana Lottery: State lottery, 18+, funds STEM scholarships. Lottery games, not sports.
- Wyoming sportsbook apps: Wyoming has five mobile sportsbooks and an 18 minimum age. You must be physically in Wyoming.
- Prediction markets (Kalshi, Polymarket): Sports contracts are accessible in Montana. Not licensed by Montana; the federal-versus-state legal fight is unresolved.
Montana Sports Betting Bill History
| Bill | Session | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| SB 555 | 2025 | Added 'online casinos, by whatever name known' that take and pay out any form of currency to the definition of illegal internet gambling, with felony penalties of up to $50,000 and 10 years. Gov. Gianforte signed it; effective Oct. 1, 2025. |
| Ch. 284, Laws of 2019 | 2019 | Created the state lottery and sports wagering commission's sports betting product: wagers at licensed locations, including by mobile app used only inside the licensed location. The bill number was not verified in this research. |
Montana Updates Log
- : A CBS Sports tracker listed Montana as a state where sports prediction markets are accessible, with no state enforcement noted. source
- : Sports Bet Montana reported $1,374,305 in handle for the week ending Oct. 17, with football at 65.6%. source
- : Sports Bet Montana reported $1,519,670 in handle for the week ending Oct. 10, with football at 70%. source
- : SB 555 took effect, making operation of online casinos, including dual-currency sweepstakes sites, a felony. source
- : Gov. Greg Gianforte signed SB 555. source
Betting in Montana
Montana currently offers retail (in-person) sports betting only. There is no statewide mobile sportsbook app. Bettors must visit a licensed casino or retail location to place wagers. Check the state regulator for the current list of approved venues.
Are There Sports Betting Apps in Montana?
No. Montana has no statewide mobile sportsbook app: to place a legal cash wager you must be at a licensed venue. That gap is exactly why regulated from-home alternatives are popular here.
Legal Alternatives You Can Use From Home in Montana
Prediction Markets
CFTC-regulated exchanges such as Kalshi and Polymarket US list yes-or-no contracts on events, from elections to sports. Each contract pays $1 if it is right, and availability depends on your state and the type of contract.
Sweepstakes sportsbooks are banned or restricted in Montana; see our sweepstakes guide for the law. No major daily fantasy operator offers paid contests in Montana. Our promos page tracks current sign-up offers. Availability can change, so always confirm a platform is offered in Montana before creating an account.
Could Montana Add Statewide Mobile Betting?
Montana's lottery-run model was set by statute, so statewide commercial mobile betting would take a new law. There has been little push to change the current kiosk and on-premises system.
Montana College Player Prop Rules
| College Player Props | In-State Team Rule | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Allowed | Allowed in a retail-only market. |
Sports Betting in States Near Montana
Legal sportsbook apps check where you are, not where you live, so Montana residents can bet legally in a neighboring state that has online betting, as long as they are physically there.
Montana Sports Betting FAQ
Is sports betting legal in Montana?
Partially. Montana permits retail (in-person) sports betting only; there is no statewide mobile app yet.
Can I use FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM or Fanatics in Montana?
Not for sports betting. As of October 26, 2026, Montana allows sports betting only in person at licensed venues, so the FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Fanatics sportsbook apps block bets placed from inside the state. Some of these brands also run daily fantasy or prediction-market apps, which follow different rules.
Are there sports betting apps in Montana?
No. Montana has no statewide mobile sportsbook app, legal wagers must be placed at licensed in-person locations.
Can I bet on sports from home in Montana?
Not with a sportsbook. From home, the regulated options are prediction market exchanges, sweepstakes sportsbooks, and daily fantasy contests, where available. A licensed venue is required for cash sports wagers.
Can you bet college player props in Montana?
Allowed in a retail-only market.
Who regulates sports betting in Montana?
Sports wagering in Montana falls under the Montana Lottery.
Sources for this Montana guide
- Montana Lottery: the state regulator
- HB 725 (2019), Title 23, ch. 7, MCA (State Lottery): The law makes sports betting a Montana Lottery product, offered through Sports Bet Montana at licensed retail locations.
- Minimum age rule: Bettors must be 18 or older.
- Montana legislature: bill search