Following new rules proposed by the Montana Lottery, the state could soon be seeing up to 1,400 locations to bet on sports.
Legislators earlier this year legalized gambling on sporting events and officials are hoping that the first wagers could be placed before the turn of the calendar year.
“We anticipate being ready for an end-of-the-year launch, but the public comment piece is a very important piece of it and we will follow that,” said Jennifer McKee, a spokesperson for the Montana Lottery, in an article published in the Independent Record.
Bettors will be able to place wagers on college and professional sporting events under the new rules and regulations. Mobile phone apps will also be offered where gamblers can look at lines and upcoming events to plan their bets, but wagers can only be made when a person is physically inside a licensed retail location.
Beacons in sports gaming terminals will recognize when cellphones are in the location and then allow betters to place bets through their mobile devices. For those who don’t want to use their cell phones, they can also place their wagers at on-site terminals.
The U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for sports gambling in May 2018 with a ruling that claimed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which prohibited states from allowing sports betting beyond what was legal when the act went into effect in 1992, unconstitutionally limited states’ rights.
