Which Montana counties have the most — and least — video gambling machines per person?
There was slightly more than one licensed video gambling machine for every 69 Montana residents during fiscal year 2026, which ended June 30, according to a Montana Free Press analysis of newly reported state Department of Justice licensing data and U.S. Census Bureau population estimates. Per capita concentrations of gambling varied substantially between counties.
Video gambling machines are computerized terminals that offer games including poker, keno, bingo and line games resembling slot machines. They are distinct from Montana Lottery games, horse racing and sports betting, which are not regulated by the Justice Department’s Gambling Control Division.
The state report lists approximately 16,500 machines across Montana. Mineral County, in far western Montana, had the greatest number of machines relative to population, with 212 gaming terminals and approximately 5,200 residents — or one machine for every 24 people. Wibaux County, on the eastern border of the state, had one machine for every 25 residents, followed by Sheridan County, in the state’s northeastern corner, with one for every 28.
Mineral County, which contains St. Regis, sits along the Idaho border. Idaho prohibits slot machines and other commercial casino games, including machines in bars and at alcohol-licensed establishments, though the state does permit some other forms of gambling, including a lottery and tribal gaming. The Montana data do not indicate where machine users live or whether cross-border traffic contributes to Mineral County’s comparatively high population of video gambling machines.
At the other end of the spectrum, Lake County, north of Missoula, had by far the lowest concentration, with one state-licensed machine for every 1,151 residents. But that figure does not include machines licensed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on the Flathead Indian Reservation, which encompasses most of the county. The Lake County rate shown here reflects the number of machines covered by state licensing data, not all electronic gambling available in the county.
The state does not allocate a set number of machines to counties or establishments. Businesses generally must hold an eligible license to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises, obtain a gambling operator license and have the premises approved by the state Department of Justice. An operator may purchase approved machines from a licensed distributor or lease them from a licensed route operator. Each machine requires an annual state permit, and a single location may make no more than 20 machines available for play.
Montana caps individual video gambling wagers at $2 and awards at $800 per game.
Montana collected a record $83.5 million in tax revenue from video gambling machines in fiscal year 2025, which accounts for about 2.4% of the $3.45 billion in General Fund revenue in the fiscal year, which ended June 30 of last year.
As of late July, numbers are not yet available for the last quarter of fiscal year 2026, but revenue earned through the year’s first three quarters was 2.6% higher than during the same period a year earlier.
The concentration of machines relative to population differed substantially among Montana’s six most populous counties. Cascade County had the highest concentration of the six, with one machine for every 48 residents. Yellowstone County had 2,646 machines, the largest total, and a rate slightly higher than the statewide average at one machine for every 65 residents.
Lewis and Clark County was close to the statewide figure, with one machine for every 71 residents. Flathead County had one machine for every 83, and Missoula had one for every 93.
Gallatin County had the lowest concentration among the state’s six largest counties. Its 972 machines amounted to one for every 132 residents, less than half the per capita concentration of Cascade County.
Direct comparisons with other states are difficult because states classify and report gambling machines differently. As a rough benchmark, Nevada reported 149,367 licensed slot machines in mid-2025. Compared with its estimated population, that amounted to about one machine for every 22 residents, roughly three times Montana’s per capita concentration. Among Montana’s neighboring states, South Dakota’s fiscal year 2025 report lists 11,120 active machines, which works out to just over 84 residents per gaming machine.
The Montana Gambling Control Division site does not currently list a recent statewide estimate of problem gambling. An archived version of a problem-gambling page cited a 2013 report from the National Council on Problem Gambling that estimated 2.2% of Montana adults, about 17,200 people, were “believed to manifest a gambling disorder.” That figure was calculated by applying a national average prevalence rate to Montana’s adult population, rather than by conducting a Montana-specific survey.
The National Council on Problem Gambling currently estimates that about 1% of U.S. adults experience a severe gambling problem in a given year, while another 2% to 3% experience mild or moderate problems. The estimates use different definitions and cannot show whether Montana’s rate has risen or fallen. No comparable recent survey shows how many Montanans might be affected today.
