Montana Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Introduction to Montana Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Montana slot machine casino gambling consists of video gaming machines in many bars and taverns as well as on 8 American Indian tribal reservations.

All tribes can offer Class II bingo-style competition electronic gaming machines, but not all tribes do so. There are 5 tribes with tribal-state compacts allowing them to offer Class III Vegas-style gaming machines.

Theoretical payout return limits have been legally set for Montana’s bars and taverns having video gaming machines (VGMs). No minimum payout return limit has been legally set for Montana’s tribal casinos. No actual payout return statistics are available for either.

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This post continues the weekly blog series Online Resource: State-By-State Slots Gambling Summaries, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambling enthusiasts to success. Each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Montana*

The minimum legal gambling age in Montana does not depend upon the gambling activity:

• Land-Based Casinos: 18
• Poker Rooms: 18
• Bingo: 18
• Lottery: 18
• Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

Under Montana law, businesses must have an alcoholic beverages license before they can offer gambling activities such as video gaming machines. If approved, they are legally limited to having 20 VGMs. Most are bars and taverns, but may also be laundry mats, truck stops, and other small businesses.

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Montana collects a 15% tax on business income from video gaming machines. For the fiscal year 2017, this VGM gross business income tax generated nearly $60 million for the state general fund.

The maximum bet on these commercial VGMs is $2 while the maximum payout is $800. Maximum bet and maximum award for gaming machines at tribal casinos depend upon the specifics of each tribal-gaming compact.

Further, each tribal-gaming compact details the maximum number of machines at each tribal casino as well as whether they will have Class III Vegas-style games. For the 7 federally-recognized tribes in Montana:

1. Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
   • 2012 compact allows up to 750 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
   • Maximum bet and payout: $10 and $2,500 for regular gaming machines
   • 20% of machines may be high stakes with $50 bets and $5,000 payouts
2. Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
   • No existing tribal-state compact
   • Offers only Class II bingo-style gaming machines
3. Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation
   • 2012 compact allows up to 750 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
   • Maximum wagers on all machines is $10
   • Maximum payouts are $3,000 on up to 500 machines
   • Maximum payouts are $5,000 on up to 250 machines
4. Crow Tribe of the Crow Indian Reservation
   • 2014 compact allows up to 925 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
   • Two-thirds may be regular stakes with maximum $10 bet and $3,000 payout
   • One-third may be high stakes with maximum $50 bet and $5,000 payout
5. Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
   • 2007 compact allows up to 400 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
   • All machines have a maximum bet of $5 and a maximum payout of $2,000
6. Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation
   • 2013 compact allows up to 750 Class III Vegas-style gaming machines
   • Maximum payouts are $3,000 on all gaming machines
7. Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation
   • No existing tribal-state compact
   • Offers only Class II bingo-style gaming machines

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*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws apply to various forms of gambling. This information is not intended to provide legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Montana

Slot machines may be privately owned in Montana if they are at least 30 years old.

Gaming Control Board in Montana

Montana has its Gambling Control Division within the Montana Department of Justice.

Also reporting to the Montana Department of Justice is the Gaming Advisory Council (GAC), advising on public policy matters related to gaming. The GAC meets twice a year, and recently submitted its Fiscal Years 2017-2018 Biennial Report to the Montana state legislature.

Casinos in Montana

Many bars and taverns in Montana have video gaming machines. Also, Montana has 8 tribal casinos. Some of these tribal casinos offer Class II bingo-style gaming machines while others offer Class III Vegas-style gaming machines.

The largest casino in Montana is Gray Wolf Peak Casino in Missoula, having 307 Class II bingo-style gaming machines. It is open Sundays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to midnight. On Friday and Saturday, it is open from 8 a.m. until 2 a.m.

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List of Casinos in Montana

There are 1,418 bars and taverns in Montana having a total of 18,544 video gaming machines. A partial list of these Montana businesses with VGMs is available online from 500 Nations.

List of Tribal Casinos in Montana

Montana has 8 tribal casinos, most but not all with a limited online presence:

1. Bear Paw Casino in Box Elder, owned and operated by the Chippewa Cree Tribe and located 180 miles northeast of Helena.
2. Charging Horse Casino & Bingo in Lame Deer, owned and operated by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and located 342 miles east of Helena.
3. Fort Belknap Casino in Harlem, owned and operated by the Fort Belknap Indian Community of the Fort Belknap Reservation and located 246 miles northeast of Helena.
4. Glacier Peaks Hotel & Casino in Browning, owned and operated by the Blackfeet Tribe and located 174 miles north-northwest of Helena.
5. Gray Wolf Peak Casino in Missoula, owned and operated by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and located 113 miles west of Helena.
6. KwaTaqNuk Casino Resort in Polson, owned and operated by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and located 182 miles northwest of Helena.
7. Northern Winz Hotel & Casino in Box Elder, owned and operated by the Chippewa Cree Tribe and located 180 miles northeast of Helena.
8. Silverwolf Casino in Wolf Point, owned and operated by the Fort Peck Sioux and Assiniboine Tribes and located 411 miles north-northeast of Helena.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Montana slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state.

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Montana is bordered by:

• North: Canadian Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan
• East: North Dakota Slots and South Dakota Slots
• South: Wyoming Slots
• West: Idaho Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my state-specific blog for that bordering state to Montana.

Payout Returns in Montana

Per Montana law, the minimum payout return percentage is 80% for video gaming machines, including video slots, bingo, keno, and poker, at Montana’s bar and taverns. At these locations, for video slot machines only, the maximum payout return percentage limit is 92%.

No limits on payout returns have been set for Montana tribes, as usual, except for the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. Per their negotiated tribal-state compact, slot machines designed and developed for exclusive use by the tribe do not have legal minimum and maximum payout return limits.

However, slot machine game themes used in other gaming jurisdictions must have the maximum payout return limit legally set for video slots in Montana’s bars and taverns, which is currently 92%.

No actual payout return statistics or reports for gambling locations with commercial or tribal gaming machines in Montana are publicly available.

Summary of Montana Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Montana slot machine casino gambling consists of small businesses having up to 20 video gaming machines as well as 8 tribal casinos. There are 1,418 Montana businesses having a total of 18,544 video slots, video keno, and video poker gaming machines.

American Indian tribes in Montana with tribal-state gaming compacts have negotiated to offer Class III Vegas-style gaming machines. The 2 tribes without gaming compacts offer Class II bingo-style electronic gaming machines.

Commercial video gaming machines have a lower payout return limit of 80% and, for video slots only, an upper payout return limit of 92%. Per their tribal-state compacts, Montana’s tribal casinos have no payout return limits except for the Chippewa Cree Tribe. They have an upper limit of 92% on their non-exclusive slot machine game themes.

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Annual Progress in Montana Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Over the last year, Montana’s gambling industry has seen steady revenues but very little growth. However, Gambling Control Division license applications have dropped by 10% in the last two fiscal years when compared to the prior two fiscal years.

Also within the last year, Montana state law changed the definition of an antique gambling device from being at least 25 years of age to now being at least 30 years of age. This change applies to the private ownership of a slot machine in Montana.

Otherwise, the tribal casino Apsaalooke Nights Casino in Crow Agency, the only tribal casino owned and operated by the Crow Tribe of Montana, has permanently closed. Also, the Northern Winz II tribal casino in Box Elder has changed its name to Bear Paw Casino.

2017 Archive: Montana Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2017 – Montana slot machine casino gambling does not exist, not exactly. 1,400 locations offer 16,000 video poker, video keno, and video bingo gaming machines. Up to 20 are allowed at any one location, and have a minimum payout return of 80%. American Indian tribal casinos are not required to have minimum payout returns.

Related Articles from Professor Slots

• 11 Things You Need To Know About American Indian Tribal Casinos – Tribal gaming is involved, even sophisticated, in terms of legal, regulatory, political, and economic factors. It’s one of the least understood segments of the U.S. gaming industry. This summary article on American Indian tribal casinos helps slot machine casino gamblers better understand the tribal casinos they visit.

Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

• Series: Online Resource: State-By-State Slots Gambling Summaries – Now in its second year, this series is an online resource dedicated to slot machine casino gambling enthusiasts. It provides 56 weekly, detailed gambling summarizes covering each U.S. state, territory, and the federal district to capture dynamic changes occurring of late in the U.S. gaming/gambling industry specific to slots play.
• Previous: Missouri Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019 – Missouri slot machine casino gambling consists of 13 riverboat casinos. There are no tribal casinos in Missouri. State gaming regulations have established an 80% minimum legal limit for payout returns from gaming devices. Detailed actual payout return statistics are available by month, casino, and slot machine denomination.
• Next: Nebraska Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019 – Nebraska slot machine casino gambling consists of 21 gambling centers offering video keno (the most common), video bingo, and more. Those offering electronic gaming machines include small businesses, 4 tribal casinos, and 1 out of the 4 racetracks. No limits for payouts returns have been set. Annual returns are available.