There is a legal lottery in Montana. The lottery was introduced in 1986 with the first tickets going on sale in 1987. Montana authorized participation in multi-jurisdictional lotteries in 1989, beginning with Lotto America. The state then introduced a state lottery, Montana Cash in 1991. Residents are able to take part in a variety of games including Mega Millions, Powerball, Big Sky Bonus and Montana Cash.

Are There Legal Online Lotteries Available in Montana?

There is no legal online lottery in Montana. Players can partake in many games, such as; Lotto America, Montana Millionaire, Powerball, Lucky for Life, Big Sky Bonus and Montana Cash. These games are both state only games and multi-jurisdictional, as the website says, they do things big in Montana. These games have a big draw even for the casual lottery player.

Montana Lotto

The Montana Cash game is drawn twice a week, players are given two games for $1 allowing players to select five numbers between 1 to 45. Montana Cash is one of the most popular state lottery games available. The jackpot starts with a guaranteed $40,000 and increases if not won. Players win $1 for matching two numbers, essentially giving a free ticket. Four numbers will get $200, five hits the jackpot.

Mega Millions

Mega Millions has been in operation since 2002, the jackpot begins at $15 million and offers either an annuity annual sum payment or a cash option. Players can buy a game for $2 and get to choose five balls between 1 and 75 and one Mega Ball between 1 and 15. Mega Millions became available in Montana in 2012. Montana offers a multiplier for the game for an extra dollar on the ticket price, called Megaplier. It multiplies non-jackpot prizes by up to five times.

Powerball

Powerball is extremelly popular due to it being available in 21 states, including the U.S Virgin Islands, Washington, D.C and even Puerto Rico. The price of the ticket can bring a lot to the table with prizes starting from $40 million. All you have to do is guess 5 numbers out of 69 available plus one Powerball which is drawn from 26 available options. It’s not that easy of a task, but three lucky winners were able to share $1.586 billion when the biggest jackpot was drawn in 2016..

Lottery Regulator in Montana

The lottery is regulated in Montana by the Montana Lottery Commission. The commission consists of five members appointed by the governor and approved by the state senate. There are some rules over who can be appointed, one must have been a law officer, one an attorney and one an accountant. The commission watches over the operation and policies of the state lottery They will make decisions on the type of games available to play, prize values, price of games and revenue paid to the state.

History of Montana Lottery

The state of Montana voted and approved an amendment to the state constitution to allow a state lottery. Montana became the 23rd lottery in the United States.

Famous Winners – Wanda Guzman – Lucky for Montana

A resident of Great Falls, Montana became the first player from Montana to win the coveted “Lucky for Life” prize. The prize was estimated at $7.3 million, with the prize being paid as $1,000 a day for the rest of her life. Wanda described the win as “surreal”. The game is played in 26 states across the country, the odds of winning are 1 in 30.8 millions. There is no cap on the prize and if Wanda passes away before a minimum of twenty years is paid out, a beneficiary will receive the remaining winnings.

Online Lotto Legal Age in Montana

The age limit in Montana is 18, and has been since the introduction of the lottery. If playing illegally, underaged lottery players can lose their earnings. Selling lottery tickets to underage participants is considered as a crime and the criminal can either be fined or sent to jail.

• Lottery Age
  The minimum age is 18 in Montana.
• Alcohol Age
  The legal drinking age is 21 in Montana.
• Weed Age
  Medicinal cannabis is legal and there is no minimum age, it is dependent on the doctor. Recreational use is illegal

Is Online Lotto Legal When You Are Out of the State?

There is no online lottery in Montana. In order to purchase tickets online, a credit card would need to be used and the use of a credit card for such purposes is against state law. Players can purchase tickets in advance for times they may not be in the state, but unfortunately cannot purchase while out of state. This is unlikely to change due to the state law and there does not seem to be much in the way of changing this. However, we will keep you up to date with any changes that do happen. For any other gambling queries, make sure to check our Montana state page.

The Best Lottery Mobile App

The Official Montana Lottery can be used to check results, prizes offered, the latest scratch cards that are released but not actually purchasing a ticket. There is no mobile app available for either Android or Apple iOS.

Online Lottery Promotions to Take Advantage Of

There are no offers available online for players to partake in. The website does, however, give details of the newest scratch cards and upcoming games.

Taxes on Lotto Winnings in Montana

Montana state lottery requires 6.9 percent state tax and 25 percent federal tax from any prize greater than $5,000. If a winner is not a U.S resident, they will pay 30 percent tax on any prize over $599.

Upcoming Regulation Changes for Online Lottery

The state of Montana has a very strong lottery game but very little in the way of an online lottery. This does not look to be set for changing any time soon. If lottery tickets were maybe allowed to be purchased via another payment source than credit card there could be some change, but this seems unlikely. We will keep up to date with any updates in relation to this.

Lottery Guides for Nearby States

• North Dakota
• Wyoming
• South Dakota
• Idaho