- A trio of sports betting bills could land on Governor Steve Bullock’s desk.
- The bills are MT HB 475, MT HB 725, and MT HB 330.
- Any combination of the three bills could be signed to legalize sports betting.
HELENA, Mont. – A trio of sports betting bills being passed in their respective chambers over the last few days could lead Montana to have multiple sports betting providers.
Last Thursday, MT HB 475 passed in the House and is heading to the Senate. MT HB 725 also had similar results on Saturday. MT SB 330 passed in the Senate on Monday and is now heading to the House.
Making Quick Progress
All three of the sports betting bills now have left their respective chambers of Congress. The trio of bills has been moving quickly through Congress ever since they were introduced. Most states that have legalized sports betting or that is trying to do so usually would consolidate the best ideas from the individual bills and move only one of them forward.
But that doesn’t seem to be the plan for Montana. All three of the bills are moving forward at nearly the exact same time. This could lead to all of them landing on Governor Steve Bullock’s desk for him to sign.
A Different Provider For Each Bill
All of the bills are very similar in how they are going to operate sports betting. They are going to implement sports betting kiosks in a number of retail locations. Locations include restaurants, bars, convenience stores, and other places around Montana. The main difference between the three bills is who is going to provide and regulate sports betting.
MT HB 725 will be regulated by the lottery, MT HB 475 by the board of horse racing, and SB 330 by the attorney general. All three of these bills could possibly land on the governor’s desk and t will be ultimately up to Bullock to decide what sports betting will look like in Montana.
If all three does make it to him and he decides to sign all three or any combination of two bills, then that will lead to far more choices for sports bettors. More kiosks would have to be placed around Montana and that will give bettors more lines and odds for them to choose from. But there is also a chance he will only sign one of them.
It is very likely all three of the bills for Montana sports betting will make it to Bullock’s desk. There is very little opposition and these bills are on track to passing in both chambers of Congress. We are likely to see what sports betting in Montana will look like by the end of the month because the legislative session ends April 20.