Will 2021 improve the situation of fantasy sports in Montana?
Towards the end of last year, a ray of hope shone through the clouds for fans of fantasy sports in the Big Sky Country. On October 28th, a judge in Helena ruled that Montana Lottery can not limit sports wagering licenses only to businesses with an alcoholic beverage license. What does this actually mean?
If you are interested in wagering online in this state, visit Montana online and learn everything you need to know about the rules you need to follow. There are some specificities in the regulations in Montana, so it is useful to learn the story from the beginning. It all started with the new legislation passed in 2019. But to cut a long story short, forget about DraftKings and FanDuel in the Treasury State: Montana Lottery has been given a monopoly. If you want to pay for money, you have to do it through them. And this is not the only limitation.
The court case was motivated by a rather original attempt by the Montana Lottery to add further restrictions of its own that are not part of the legislation (House Bill 725). The Lottery had decided to grant licenses only to establishments that own an alcoholic beverage license. This provision may appear quaint, but it has a rationale. The idea behind it was to discourage playing for money among younger generations and, above all, minors. Bars and clubs serving alcohol cannot be close to schools, for example.
The Arete Group LLC, a Billings investment group, challenged the Montana Lottery’s decision and won the case. Still, they did not get a license just for that; they will have to go through the application process. Montana Lottery decided they will not appeal, but pointed out that according to the Administrative Rules of Montana, “Lottery tickets or chances may be sold at any place of business in Montana that is not engaged in business exclusively as a lottery ticket or chance sales agent.” In practice, the consequence of all this is that you need to physically go to someplace equipped with a Lottery kiosk or terminal if you want to play fantasy sports for money.
Not very handy. Also, the only way you can do it via mobile is to be very close to the terminal itself because the Lottery app has a limited range. The app was launched in March 2020, when Montana Lottery was installing its terminals in licensees venues. Customers can make deposits and manage their accounts from home. Still, they must visit an authorized retailer if they want to play.
The same goes for Montana Fantasy Football, the only fantasy sport that the Lottery has on offer so far. They try to make it attractive by mentioning a “dream big” dimension: “Montana Lottery Fantasy Football lets you play against the entire state — winning bigger prizes and having bigger fun.” How big can the fun be, when you have to visit a retailer to build your team, remains to be seen. People love to watch the real games in the comfort of their homes, then grab their phone to play along with fantasy games. W
At least, the “alcohol exclusive” has now fallen. Fantasy sports could, in theory, appear in bookstores and cafeterias.
