For the first time, a Montana Indian tribe will be able to offer legal retail sports betting.
The compact between the the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was approved by the' Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and allows the tribes to offer sports betting at their Silver Wolf Casino in Wolf Point. Under the agreement, which was published in the Federal Register on Jan. 29, the tribes can add retail sports betting immediately, though there is no word yet on when the tribes plan to open up a sportsbook.
The tribes own five gaming properties located in the northeast part of the state, near the Canadian and North Dakota borders, approximately four-and-a-half hours northeast of Billings.
According to the BIA, there are eight federally recognized tribes in Montana. Seven of them operate tribal casinos, but none currently offer sports betting, which was legalized in May 2019 and is operated by the state lottery. Video poker and video keno machines are available at bars, restaurants, and convenience stores across the state, but tribal casinos are the only entities authorized to offer slot machines and other Class III gaming.