Montana Lottery

What Montana Lottery does

Montana Lottery is a state government agency of Montana, USA, created by Legislative Referendum 100 (passed 69% in November 1986) and operating continuously since selling its first ticket on June 24, 1987. It is headquartered at 2525 North Montana Avenue in Helena, operates with a lean staff of approximately 21 employees, and is overseen by a five-member Montana Lottery Commission appointed by the governor. The agency sells lottery and sports wagering products exclusively within the state of Montana, prohibited by statute from internet and mail-order ticket sales.

The product portfolio spans four verticals: (1) multi-state draw games including Powerball, Mega Millions, and Lotto America; (2) Montana-exclusive draw games including Montana Cash, Big Sky Bonus, and the Millionaire For Life daily game (which replaced Lucky for Life in February 2026); (3) instant scratch tickets ranging from $1 to $30 in price point with prizes up to $1,000,000, plus the limited-ticket $20 Montana Millionaire raffle; and (4) Sports Bet Montana, the state's exclusive sportsbook offering professional and collegiate wagering, including the Same Game Parlay feature added in November 2025. Underlying technology consists of independently certified Random Number Generator hardware housed in a secured monitored room at headquarters, the Intralot-operated central gaming system (contracted August 2025), self-service DreamTouch and Treasure Play terminals in retail and tavern/casino locations, and iOS/Android mobile applications for ticket scanning and sports wagering.

The business model is a state-monopoly retail lottery: players purchase tickets from more than 1,100 licensed sales agents (convenience stores, grocery stores, bars, taverns, casinos) or via licensed courier services (Jackpocket, Mido Lotto, TuLotero); sales agents earn a 5% commission on lottery sales and 3% on sports wagers. State law requires a minimum 45% of revenue to be returned as prizes. After prizes and operating costs, net revenue is transferred to the Montana State General Fund, with a portion allocated since 2015 to the Montana STEM Scholarship program ($2.25M annually, supporting over 2,500 students to date). FY2024 sales totaled $154.2M, up from $21.8M in the first full year of operation — a 707% cumulative increase achieved with essentially flat headcount. Since inception the lottery has paid more than $1.06B in prizes, returned approximately $386.5M to the state, and generated $104.5M in commissions for small-business sales agents.

Name

Montana Lottery

Legal name

Montana State Lottery

Website

https://montanalottery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Montana Lottery is a Helena-based state government agency that operates Montana's exclusive lottery and sports wagering products through 1,100+ licensed retail agents, mobile apps, and courier services, generating $154.2M in FY2024 sales and returning net proceeds to the state and STEM scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Lottery and Sports Wagering

NAICS

Gambling Industries (7132)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Lottery Operators (Government & Private Licensed) (MPAEAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lottery Ticket & Instant Games (Scratch-Off) Publishing/Printing (MPAEAFAC), Digital Lottery & iLottery Platforms (Web/App) (MPAEAFAD), Lottery Second-Chance, Loyalty & Rewards Platforms (MPAEAFAM)

Keywords

• State lottery games
• Instant scratch tickets
• Sports wagering
• Draw-based lotto
• Raffle games

Headquarters

HQ city

Helena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Scratch Ticket Sales: Instant win scratch tickets sold at price points from $1 to $30 with prizes ranging from $1 to $1,000,000. These are created in Montana for Montanans and sold through licensed sales agents and self-service terminals.
2. Lotto Game Sales: Multi-state lottery games including Powerball ($3/play with Power Play included), Mega Millions ($5/play), Lotto America ($1/play), Montana Cash ($1/play with optional $1 Max Cash), and Millionaire For Life ($5/play). Also includes Montana-only games like Big Sky Bonus ($2/play).
3. Sports Bet Montana: Montana's exclusive sportsbook offering wagers on professional and collegiate sports. Commission of 3% is earned by sales agents. Handle and gross gaming revenue reported weekly.
4. Treasure Play Terminal Games: Terminal-based instant games played on self-service screens in taverns and casinos, including progressive jackpot games at various price points ($1 to $20).
5. Montana Millionaire Raffle: Limited-ticket raffle game sold at $20 per play with $1,000,000 grand prizes, Quarter Million Monday drawings, and instant win opportunities. Tickets numbered 000001 to 620000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Montana Lottery is a state-operated lottery and sports wagering agency that sells draw-based lotto games (Powerball, Mega Millions, Montana Cash, Lotto America, Big Sky Bonus, Millionaire For Life), instant scratch tickets priced $1–$30, terminal-based Treasure Play games, the limited-ticket Montana Millionaire raffle, and Sports Bet Montana sports wagering. Products are sold to Montana residents 18 and older through a network of more than 1,100 licensed sales agents, self-service terminals, and the official mobile app, with net proceeds transferred to the Montana state General Fund and supporting STEM scholarships.

Product overview

Montana Lottery is a state government lottery offering a diverse portfolio of gaming products including multi-state lotto games (Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto America), state-specific games (Montana Cash, Big Sky Bonus), daily draw games (Millionaire For Life), instant scratch-off tickets, terminal-based Treasure Play games, the raffle-style Montana Millionaire, and Sports Bet Montana sports wagering. The company operates under a traditional lottery model where players purchase tickets from licensed sales agents across Montana. The product portfolio also includes a Player's Club loyalty program for second chance drawings and promotional offers. The multi-state games offer large jackpots while state-specific games provide better odds and Montana-only prizes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sports Bet Montana: Montana's exclusive sportsbook product allowing sports wagering on collegiate and professional sports
• Treasure Play
• Player's Club

Products and services

• Powerball Multi-state lottery game with large jackpots where players select 5 numbers between 1-69 and a Powerball number between 1-26. Draws Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at $3 per play with Power Play included. For individual consumers in Montana 18+.
• Montana Cash Montana's state-specific lottery game with starting jackpot of $40,000 where players select 5 numbers between 1-45. Optional $1 Max Cash progressive jackpot add-on. Draws Wednesdays and Saturdays. For individual Montana consumers 18+.
• Lotto America Multi-state lottery game with starting jackpot of $2 million where players select 5 numbers between 1-52 and one Star Ball between 1-10. Optional $1 All Star Bonus multiplier add-on. Draws Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. For individual Montana consumers 18+.
• Mega Millions Multi-state lottery game with multi-million dollar jackpots where players select 5 numbers between 1-70 and one Mega Ball between 1-24. Draws Tuesdays and Fridays at $5 per play. Multi-draw available for 2 to 24 consecutive drawings. For individual Montana consumers 18+.
• Millionaire For Life Daily draw game with chance to win $1,000,000/year for life where players select 5 main numbers between 1-58 and one 1/5 Ball between 1-5. Draws every day at 9:15 p.m. MT at $5 per play. Multi-draw available for up to 24 consecutive drawings. For individual Montana consumers 18+.
• Big Sky Bonus

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.06 billion in prizes awarded to winners since 1987
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, core and minor.

• Montana Citizens (via Referendum)foundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 1986The Montana Lottery was created by Legislative Referendum 100 passed by Montana citizens on November 4, 1986, with 69% of the vote carrying all 56 counties. This citizen-driven initiative established the lottery as a state agency to benefit Montana through entertainment and education funding.
• Montana University System / Montana CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Montana Lottery provides $2.25 million annually to the Montana STEM Scholarship program, which is reserved for Montana students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, math, and healthcare at Montana colleges and universities. Over 2,500 students have been helped since the program's inception.
• Intralot Inc. (Duluth, GA)coreTechnology or IntegrationMontana Lottery awarded the lottery's central gaming system and related services contract to Intralot, Inc. in August 2025. Intralot provides the central gaming system infrastructure that manages lottery operations, draw games, and game parameters.
• BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCan-Am SxS (Side-by-Side) vehicles are offered as specialty prizes in the Can-Am Summer Scratch game. The $10 Can-Am Scratch game features instant win SxS vehicles valued up to $34,000, with winners able to select any Can-Am model. This is a product partnership for scratch game prizes.
• Montana Department of Public Instruction / State General FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNet revenue from the Montana Lottery is transferred to the State's General Fund, with a portion going to STEM scholarships since 2015. The Legislature determines appropriation of lottery funds. Since inception, approximately $386.5 million has been returned to the state.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Colorado Lottery: Regional Mountain West state lottery with scratch, draw, and multi-state games. Geographic proximity and similar demographic profile make it a comparable regional peer.
• New Hampshire Lottery: State lottery with strong digital channel including iLottery and sports betting via DraftKings partnership. Useful comparable for digital expansion trends relevant to Montana Lottery's mobile strategy.
• Wyoming Lottery: State-run lottery in neighboring Wyoming with similar small-population profile and multi-state game offerings (Powerball, Mega Millions). Compares directly to Montana Lottery as a similarly-sized peer state lottery operator.
• Oregon Lottery: Regional state lottery with broader product portfolio including sports betting (Scoreboard app). Similar Pacific Northwest footprint and competitive overlap with Montana.
• Idaho Lottery: Regional state lottery operator serving Idaho with comparable scratch, draw, and multi-state games. Similar small-state scale and product mix makes Idaho a direct revenue-comparable peer.
• Vermont Lottery: Small-state lottery with comparable revenue scale and product mix. Useful for benchmarking small-population lottery economics and operational efficiency.
• North Dakota Lottery: Adjacent state lottery with multi-state draw games only (no scratch or instant products). Competitive overlap with Montana along border regions and similar regulatory framework.

Others

• Intralot Inc. Central gaming system vendor that just won Montana Lottery's contract in August 2025. Comparable as a critical technology partner and for understanding the operational infrastructure stack.
• Jackpocket: Licensed lottery courier service that operates in Montana as a sales agent. Relevant as a digital channel partner and comparable for the courier-driven distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Pennsylvania Lottery: Largest US state lottery by revenue with extensive product portfolio including iLottery and scratch games. Useful benchmark for what scaled state lotteries can achieve in product breadth and digital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/mtlottery
• Facebookfacebook.com/MontanaStateLottery
• Instagraminstagram.com/montanalottery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montanalottery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Montana Lottery