The bill, already approved by both the Senate and House, awaits only the signature of Governor Greg Gianforte to be enacted.
Montana is poised to become the first US state to outlaw sweepstakes casinos, with just one final signature needed to pass Senate Bill 555 into law.
The bill, already approved by both the Senate and House, awaits only the signature of Governor Greg Gianforte to be enacted. It aims to tighten existing laws by explicitly defining online casinos as a form of illegal internet gambling.
The updated legislation reads:
“[Internet gambling] includes online casinos, by whatever name known, which constitute internet gambling and therefore are prohibited. This includes but is not limited to any platform, website, or application that knowingly transmits or receives gambling information, allows consumers to place a bet or wager using any form of currency, and makes payouts of any form of currency.”
Though the bill is broadly worded, its primary focus appears to be on sweepstakes-style social casinos. These platforms typically operate using a dual-currency model: players buy Gold Coins for entertainment and are granted Sweeps Coins, which can be used to play games and potentially redeemed for cash.
What remains unclear is whether Gold Coins—typically non-redeemable for real money—fall under the bill’s definition of “currency.” However, the language suggests a crackdown on any system that facilitates real-money winnings through gameplay.