Gambling is entrenched in the way of life of Montana residents as there are no shortage of places to play your favorite casino games. In addition to brick and mortar establishments, there are other operators who can offer specialized gaming for citizens. Compared to many states surrounding Montana, the state has fairly lax laws when it comes to gambling. Most people associate states like Montana as being anti-gambling, but nothing could be further from the truth.
When it comes to gambling online, there are plenty of options, but none that are sanctioned by the state. As it stands there are no legalized, regulated online casinos in the state, but that very well might change in the near future. The one thing that many people do not like about Montana is that their gambling scene almost forces you to drink. We will elaborate more on this below, but Montana is a state with alcohol abuse problems, and people believe that the gambling industry only exasperates that problem.
What Are The Best Montana Real Money Gambling Sites?
Is Online Gambling Legal in Montana?
As the law is written, there is nothing that says you cannot play at online casinos in the state. What is illegal, however, is to operate an online casino in the state. This means that if you start a company that offers casino games online, and it is based in Cheyenne, you will more than likely face legal troubles.
On the other side of the coin, if you are a single Montana resident and are playing at an online casino you will face no legal repercussions whatsoever. Most online casinos that offer their services to residents of the state are based offshore, which means that you have absolutely no worries when it comes to gambling online.
For many, the idea of playing real money casino games at a site that is not based in the United States is one that instills fear. Though understandable, the fact of the matter is that 99% of all real money casinos available to players from Montana are not only wholly legitimate, but also regulated in the country from which they originate. To keep it simple, these sites are trustworthy, legitimate, and only serve to offer you a high quality gaming experience. All of this aside, we still encourage you to do your own research in order to vet the casino, or casinos, at which you would like to play.
Looking to the future, Montana is one of those states that is difficult to read. On one hand, the fact that they are so heavily invested in the gambling industry means that regulated, legalized online casino play might be on its way. On the other hand, online casinos do not seem to be a priority in the eyes of the Montana state government, and that leads us to believe that we will no see regulated online casinos in the state anytime in the near future. As it is in so many other states, until someone steps forward and introduces a gambling bill or some other piece of online casino legislation, the idea of a regulated industry is nothing more than a good idea.
Legal Status of Brick and Mortar Casinos — Montana
As was touched on previously, Montana is a state that can be considered gambler-friendly. In addition to a bunch of full-fledged casinos, the state licenses thousands of operators to provide video poker-type games at bars, restaurants, and other establishments. Residents of the state love this and are constantly playing video poker games such as Jacks or Better at their favorite bars. This, however, is where the problem of drinking and gambling go hand in hand. In Montana, most video poker machines are located at bars, and that means the only way you are really able to play these games is if there is a drink in front of you.
That being the case, it is easy to see why many opponents to gambling in the state point to the inclusion of alcohol as something that makes gambling more of a problem than anything else. That much said, you can rarely travel to a site that offers gambling but does not also serve alcoholic beverages. For better or for worse, there is almost always alcohol where there is casino games. A good piece of advice would be to avoid drinking while you are gambling, however this advice falls upon deaf ears more often than it doesn’t.
As we look to the future, the brick and mortar gambling industry only seems to grow. Montana is a sparsely populated state, and this means that revenues are at a minimum. Constantly in need of additional cash year in and year out, Montana may be forced to construct even more casinos just to bring in the money it needs. What’s more, as bordering states loosen their gambling laws, Montana will be forced to compete and prevent gambling dollars from straying over the border. Instead of wasting the money to establish more brick and mortar casinos, it seems as though it would be much more sensible to establish a framework for an intrastate network of online casinos much like what exists in New Jersey. Once again, however, there needs to be some sort of push on the part of state lawmakers otherwise the way gambling in the state exists will never change.
Montana Online Casinos & Gambling FAQ
- Abbreviation: MT
- State Motto: Gold and Silver
- Capital City: Helena
- Population Estimate: 1 million (43rd)
- Website: http://www.mt.gov/
Offshore online casinos seem difficult to trust, are they?
When people in the United States hear the term “offshore,” a chill is sent down their spine for a number of reasons. Offshore casinos are what makes up 100% of the online casino offering for Montana residents, and it must be stated that most all of them are entirely safe to play at. So long as you do your research, you will find that most online casinos have been around for a long time and have gained a solid reputation during that time.
Are there a lot of deposit and withdrawal options?
Really, there are only a handful of options when it comes to funding a player account and cashing out winnings. When it comes to adding funds to your player account, your best bet would be to do so by way of a debit or credit card. For withdrawing funds the options are a bit more plentiful, but being in the US, receiving your money is never as easy as it should be.
Will regulated online casino play make an appearance anytime soon?
The government of Montana seems much more interested in brick and mortar gambling, so I do not think that regulated online casinos are going to come into play anytime soon. With that being said, however, the state is so sparsely populated that it oftentimes makes much more sense to play casino games from home as opposed to traveling hundreds of miles just to shell out even more money.
