John Ford | April 22, 2022 | Updated on: January 27th, 2023
The state of casinos and gambling in Montana is pretty unique. Loads of gambling forms are legal in the state, and many establishments (including bars and taverns) are allowed to offer gambling services, such as lottery games and sports betting lines.
Thus, finding a place to wager a buck or two is pretty easy. However, some strict regulations govern all gambling activities in Big Sky Country, such as no land-based casino being allowed to offer table games.
If you would like to find out more about how gambling in Montana works, stick around. We go through everything you need to know below. We even list all the top online casinos that accept Montana players.
Top-Rated MT Online Casinos
Montana Casino Links
- Top-Rated MT Online Casinos
- Gambling Laws in Montana
- Land-Based Casinos in Montana
- Casinos in Montana – FAQs
Gambling Laws in Montana
Gambling laws in Montana seem pretty strict, but rather they are just well-defined. There are two types of gambling establishments:
- Bars and taverns
- Indian casinos
Indian casinos are the more traditional types of casinos. They offer video bingo games that look like slots. The most you can bet on one of these games is $5. The maximum payout is capped at $1,500. This ensures that bets are kept small and that players don’t make bad decisions. The minimum return on these machines is around 80%.
Bars and taverns are also allowed to offer patrons gambling machines. According to state laws, they can have up to 20 devices. The maximum bet on these machines is $2 (which we think is a good idea where alcohol is involved.) The maximum payout is $800.
Outside of casino games, Montana residents can also play state-run lottery games. Sports betting was also recently legalized. The sports betting system works differently than in other states – restaurants and bars are allowed to run their own sportsbook.
Online Gambling in Montana
Online gambling laws in Montana sound a little complex, but they aren’t really. Essentially, there are no laws that prevent you from joining and wagering at an online gambling site. However, it is illegal to own and operate a gambling site within state borders.
Most of the online casinos that accept Montana players are based outside of the country, so you should have no issues when you play online.
It seems like there are no plans to introduce a statewide online casino network soon. Thus, you may have to settle for offshore sites at the moment. This shouldn’t be an issue, though – all the casinos we recommend are amazing at what they do.
Land-Based Casinos in Montana
As mentioned above, there are tons of places you can gamble in Montana. Most bars and taverns have their own sportsbooks and can offer up to 20 video gambling games with small prizes.
However, there are actual casinos in Montana. Unfortunately, due to state regulations, none of them are allowed to offer table games.
Here is a list of land-based casinos in Montana:
| Casino | Address | Number |
| Charging Horse Casino & Bingo | 1/2 US-212, Lame Deer, MT 59043 | (406) 477-6677 |
| Fort Belknap Casino | 104 Assiniboine Ave, Harlem, MT 59526, Harlem, MT 59526 | (406) 353-2235 |
| Glacier Little Peaks Casino | 601 SE Boundary St, Browning, MT 59417 | (406) 338-3977 |
| Glacier Peaks Hotel & Casino | 46 Museum Loop, Browning, MT 59417 | (406) 338-2274 |
| Gray Wolf Peak Casino | 20750 US-93, Missoula, MT 59808 | (406) 726-3778 |
| KwaTaqNuk Resort Casino | 49708 US-93, Polson, MT 59860 | (406) 883-3636 |
| Northern Winz Hotel and Casino | 11275 US-87, Box Elder, MT 59521 | (406) 395-5420 |
| Silverwolf Casino | 300 MT-25, Wolf Point, MT 59201 | (406) 653-3475 |
| Tribal Express Casino | Highway 2 East, Poplar, Montana 59255 | (406) 768-3480 |
Casinos in Montana – FAQs
Yes, gambling is legal in Montana. Tons of bars and restaurants offer visitors the chance to play video gambling machines with games like video poker, keno, and bingo. This is not even to mention the Indian casinos in the state.
The legal gambling age in Montana is 18 for lottery games and charitable bingo games. However, the legal age for casino games is 21. You will not be able to gamble at most establishments that offer video gambling machines if you are not of legal drinking age anyway.
No, blackjack is not legal in Montana. No land-based casinos are allowed to offer the game. However, as online casinos are unregulated, you can play blackjack online if you really want to play the casino game.
Yes, you can bet on sports in Montana. The state approved the activity in 2019. Since then, it has moved to allow bars and taverns to offer sports betting lines along with video gambling machines.
Yes, you can gamble online in Montana. There are no laws that prevent you from playing casino games online. However, if you try to host your own online casino anyway in MT, you will be prosecuted.
No, there are no casinos in Billings, Montana. However, you can play casino games at several bars and taverns.
The biggest casino in Montana is Gray Wolf Peak Casino. It has over 300 gaming machines and other entertainment options.
Bovada is neither legal nor illegal in Montana. You can join the casino and sportsbook because there are no laws against gambling online.
There aren’t really that many traditional casinos in Montana. It’s just that many bars and taverns are allowed to offer video gambling machines. As such, they are allowed to register as gambling establishments too. However, you won’t find more than 20 gambling machines in them at most.
Check out our other state guides: