We will delve into the top sweepstakes platforms and discuss the legality of casinos that are legal in Montana.
While dozens of sweepstakes platforms are legal for Montana’s players, a few rise above the competition and stand out as the most popular sweepstakes casinos in the state. In 2024, Montana’s players stick with the following three platforms.
Developed by High 5 Games, a software provider active in the casino games industry since 1995, High 5 casino is among the top destinations for Montana-based gamblers. This is the top-rated casino in the state thanks to its four-currency system, excellent referral program, free spins on registration, and live casino games.
While High 5 Casino is best known for the company behind it, it also has a huge game library with over 800 games that are a favorite among players. Slots such as Sweet Bonanza, Gates of Olympus and Double Da Vinci Diamonds are among the most popular. And it’s easy to see why so many players choose High 5 Casino, with daily promotions in the form of coins, spins, and other bonuses.
As the name suggests, Gambino Slots is a sweepstakes platform focusing exclusively on slot-based games. The casino offers more than 150 slot machines, with titles such as Big 5 Africa, Luxury Living, Sugarland Wild, American Eagle and License to Win among the most popular due to their stunning graphics, vibrant colors and immersive sound experience.
Gambino Slots may not have any live casino games, but it makes up for it by offering titles from Spiral Interactive that are filled with mythological, historical, and animal themes. There is also an excellent loyalty program, where frequent visitors to the site can enjoy daily free spins, G coins, XP packs, multipliers, etc.
Players looking for a unique approach and a great cause will find the answer at Golden Hearts Games, a sweepstakes casino that pairs charities and gambling, enabling players to enjoy their favorite titles while helping various charitable organizations with their donations.
A $10 registration fee, which is immediately donated to a charity of the player’s choice, is the beginning of your gaming journey at Golden Hearts Games. From there, gamers can enjoy slots, scratch cards, blackjack, online poker, and bingo games like Golden Hearts Bingo or Old School Video Bingo, which are organized every 10 minutes and run 24/7.
The existence of free to play modes in sweepstakes casinos is what sets them apart from the traditional online casino platforms. This element also contributes to the legality of sweepstakes platforms. It makes them far less difficult to operate, even in states like Montana that don’t allow online casino gambling.
Join us as we explore this legal gray area, take a closer look at the many legal and illegal aspects of sweepstakes, compare Montana to its neighboring states, and examine the laws that govern sweepstakes platforms in Montana.
Montana is certainly not among the best US states for online gamblers. While traditional online gambling platforms are prohibited in the Treasure State, those regulations do not apply to online sweepstakes platforms like those listed here.
These platforms fall into a legal gray area and can safely operate in MT due to the free-to-play mode in sweepstakes casinos. Along with a few basic rules regarding legal age requirements and full disclosure of rules, eligibility and winning conditions, these platforms also follow the most important “no purchase necessary” rule, making them perfectly legal in Montana.
Montana is relatively close to Washington, a notoriously brutal US state when it comes to online gambling. However, it’s not exactly bordered by it. Instead, it’s surrounded by neighbors such as North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, all of which have similarly relaxed laws regarding sweepstakes casinos.
The only exception to this is Idaho, a neighboring state with laws similar to those of Washington or Nevada, where all forms of online gambling are strictly prohibited. Under the Idaho Constitution, players are prohibited from participating in one of the above sweepstakes.
According to the Montana Legislature and Montana Code Annotated, MT laws prohibit the existence of online gambling games, but allow the operation of sweepstakes gambling platforms as such casinos offer a “free to play” mode and therefore follow the “no purchase necessary” rule. This rule is one of the most important regulations in the state of Montana, while others are as follows
Montana sweepstakes casinos can operate effortlessly by following these basic rules, which are the same for most other US states.
Compared to real-life casinos like the ones in Vegas or Atlantic City or traditional online gambling platforms, sweepstakes casino games aren’t nearly as colorful. That’s not to say that these gaming platforms don’t offer variety. There’s plenty of it for most players.
While most sweepstakes platforms primarily focus on slots, with a few table releases like blackjack, roulette, or baccarat in between, others are also known for involving various types of fish and crash games, bingo, scratchcards, etc., which can keep the players entertained for hours.
In the case of Montana legal sweepstakes platforms, though, the most popular casino game types are undoubtedly still slot-based games, with Blackjack and Bingo coming in 2nd and 3rd place, so let’s dive right into those game types.
Many sweepstakes gambling websites focus on slot-based games, which feature spinning reels with various symbols, and Gama casino is a perfect example of such a gaming platform. These gambling games are becoming increasingly popular in the gambling community, and the exponential rise of sweepstakes casinos is partly responsible for their rise in popularity.
There are numerous variations in sweepstakes slots. Some follow traditions with three-reeled pokies, while others have evolved into games with five-reels. Progressive jackpots are another popular variant, and here, the jackpot increases each time you play the game, with many websites even offering a pooled progressive jackpot from multiple slot games.
Sweepstakes platforms aren’t unaware of the popularity of table games like blackjack online. It’s one of the most widely enjoyed casino banking games, and as such, it’s a standard occurrence in most sweepstakes casinos. While it’s not a thing for all Montana-legal sweepstakes platforms, Luckybird casino and Social Tournaments offers a few variants.
The game is played with a deck of 52 cards. The objective of Blackjack games, regardless of the variant, is to have a set of cards with a value higher than the dealer’s, but without going over 21. As far as variations are concerned, the most popular ones are American Blackjack and European Blackjack.
You’ve no doubt heard of bingo and are probably familiar with the rules of the game. For those that don’t, bingo is played with numbers up to 75 or 90, with a banker calling numbers each time a machine selects a number. The goal is to get a card or line with all called numbers, then you can collect your prize.
b spot is among the most popular destinations for Montana-based players who enjoy bingo games, as the platform organizes almost 150 of these daily, seven days a week.
Finding a sweepstakes casino that is legal for Montana residents is easy in most cases. It’s just a quick online search away. The problem, however, is finding a trustworthy and reputable platform, and to do that you’ll need to consider several factors that influence a sweepstakes casino’s reputation.
Below is a list of elements that, no matter what country or state you’re looking in, are definitely worth considering when searching for a well-designed casino platform. These elements include:
On top of the abovementioned factors, elements like user ratings are also essential, giving you a clear idea about the platform you’re dealing with.
Compare Montana with its closest neighbor states
The three top-rated sweepstakes casinos in Montana in 2024 are High 5 casino, Gambino Slots, and Golden Hearts Games. They’re the top options after considering game variety, security features, payment options, operating licenses, the quality of bonuses and promotions, user reviews, and responsible gambling tools.
Yes. Montana-based players can enjoy a broad range of sweepstakes casinos across the state. As these platforms offer a free-to-play mode and don’t rely only on deposits, they don’t fall into the same category as traditional online gambling platforms or in-person Vegas-like casinos.
Yes. However, while players outside Montana can access Montana-legal sweepstakes casinos through VPNs, doing so is not recommended. Such access limits the players to only playing through free coins and promotions, as it restricts deposit methods and makes it impossible to withdraw winnings.
The legal gambling age for playing on sweepstake casino websites in Montana is 18 for most platforms or 16 for Golden Hearts Games’ charitable bingo games. These age requirements are similar to many other US states, except for a few states like Nevada that require users to be 21 or older.
The FTC, FCC, USPS, and DOJ control all US promotions, including those on sweepstakes casinos that are legal in Montana. Therefore, all winnings on such websites are subject to taxes, which typically sit around a flat 15% rate.
Montana-legal sweepstakes casinos offer various and frequent bonuses that help retain users. These are similar to many other US-legal sweepstakes platforms and often include signup bonuses, daily rewards like free virtual currencies and spins, XP packs, multipliers, etc.
