Colleges In Montana Prepare Rules To Keep Integrity Of Games

• MT HB 725 is the bill that legalized sports betting in Montana.
• Bettors in the state can bet on Montana colleges.
• Schools are creating policies to prevent people from or close to the team from betting.

BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Board of Regents will meet next week to discuss its policy on the integrity of sports.

Earlier in 2019, sports betting was formally legalized in Montana. In May, MT HB 725 was signed by Governor Steve Bullock. This bill helped lay out the rules for Montana sports betting.

According to the bill, sportsbooks can open up in various restaurants and bars in Montana. Sports betting kiosks will appear in licensed vendors. On top of retail locations, sports betting will become active online as well. This will allow sports betting to be active not only in bars and restaurants but in locations with a phone signal.

Bettors in Montana will not have many restrictions. People in the state are free to bet on most professional games. Montana bettors can also wager on college games, including games that feature Montana colleges. Because of this, the Board of Regents is preparing additional policies to protect the integrity of college athletics.

“There have always been prohibitions on sports wagering at our campuses. The new policy is intended to reinforce those requirements and remind those covered by the rules that nothing has changed with the passage of legalized sports wagering in Montana,” says a memo from the regents.

The proposed policy bans college athletes, campus presidents, coaches, and the Board of Regents from making bets. The NCAA also has a policy against sports betting as well. The NCAA policy prevents conference office staff, instructional athletics staff, and non-athletics staff members from betting.

NCAA policy also prevents sharing information that could influence bets. This includes information about injuries, morale, or disciplinary issues. With all of these policies combined, Montana college athletics programs are completely blocked from sports betting.

There are, of course, consequences for violating the policies. This includes college athletes being suspended and kicked off the teams. Employees who violate the rules can be suspended or fired completely. If the infraction is big enough, being prosecuted from the state or federal level is possible. The NCAA also has the right to revoke wins and championships as well.

With all of the policies set into place, colleges in Montana are trying to keep the integrity of their games intact. Sports betting is not active in Montana quite yet. Legal sports betting should be up and running by the end of the year.

News tags: Board of Regents | Bozeman | Montana | MT HB 725 | NCAA | Steve Bullock